100 Days of Night
by Ellie 5192
Summary: When Jack and Sam are stranded on an alien planet they have to fight- fight the loneliness, fight the desire to settle down, fight to stay sane... but most of all fight the connection that grows stronger every day. Based on 100 Days, S/J Friendship/ship
1. Trouble

A Sam/Jack story based on 100 Days. It's the same idea as the episode, but a different situation.

For someone who is supposed to be studying, I seem to be doing a lot of fanfictioning as well… hmmm.

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Jack had never fancied himself a coward.

But standing there in that crater, watching her dig desperately, all he wanted to do was run. Run from this place, from the mess they'd gotten into, from his fear of never going home. But most of all, run from her. Because he knew if she turned around and he saw the tears he knew were falling, all he'd want to do is hug her until they dried.

And he knew she might just let him.

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**100 days ago**

The rocks rained down, unrelenting, threatening everyone and everything in their path. He felt the earth shudder just as his radio crackled to life.

"Sir, we have to move now!"

Jack looked briefly at his radio, then around the small cave, over the faces of the children in front of him. In the corner of his eye he could see their teacher resting where he'd left her, a knock to the head her worst injury. With a sigh he made up his mind.

"You go, Carter. These kids still need help"

"But sir…"

"Go! Come back later with reinforcements once it's over. We'll be fine here. Go"

"Sir, if I go, I might not be able to get back! One hit to the gate could bury it, or worse"

"Carter, I won't say it again…"

"I won't go without you, Sir"

Though there was a hint of desperation in her voice, mostly all he could hear was her loyalty- her goddamn unwavering loyalty, which he had instilled in them all… Never leave a man behind.

And there was a part of him- a small, selfish part of him- that was glad for that loyalty. If he _was_ going to be trapped here, he didn't want to be alone. So with another sigh he clicked his radio again.

"Then you better get your ass in this cave before those rocks kill you"

"Yes sir" she replied. There was a hesitation to her voice that told him she had been running, and he swore he could hear her mouth curl into the faintest of smiles. She was never going to listen to anything different anyway, he realised.

Damn her and her loyalty.

A few minutes later she came through the entrance of the cave, breathing heavily. She must have sprinted to get there so quickly. He was holding the youngest of the children, barely two years old, while the others sat in the back of the cave clinging to each other.

"Sir?"

A thousand questions in just one word.

"We're all okay. Their teacher took a knock to the head, she's out cold. Some of the parents are in a cave about two clicks away"

His tone was hushed, reassuring, as he rubbed small circles on the child's back while he slept. She nodded, still catching her breath, and moved to check on the teacher, more out of training than out of necessity. The woman didn't move, but her head was the worst of her injuries. She would be fine. Sam stood and looked over the children. Aside from the small boy in Jack's arms, they all looked between four and eight. She was thankful that there was only a small group of them- just over a half dozen.

She looked back up to Jack and realized just how bizarre the sight was- her hardened commanding officer was carrying a toddler, swaying slightly as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then she was painfully reminded that there was a reason why he was so familiar with the gesture, and she diverted her gaze to the boy.

"He okay?" she asked, lacking a better conversation starter.

"Scared. Tired…" he said, shifting. "Heavy"

She grinned and went and sat next to the other children. A small girl, no older than five, huddled into Sam's side, and her arm instinctively went around her. Another came and sat next to her, burying her head in Sam's shoulder. Meanwhile, Jack had settled himself against the wall of the cave; the toddler nestled under his chin.

"It's gonna be a looong night" he sighed.


	2. More Trouble

Thank you to my reviewers… it's very much appreciated.

Had my English exam today, and I feel pretty good about it, so to celebrate, I thought I'd give you all another chapter. Short and sweet.

A note about this story: While I am notorious for writing sappy, 12-year-old Sam/Jack stories, I am trying with this one to make it as realistic as possible- no jumping his bones after the second night. Sorry. Having said that, I know that my future self, when she gets around to writing that bit, will not be able to resist shippiness… so I will say that, in the distant future, the story will change. Just a warning.

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Jack woke with a start and immediately sought out his second in command. She had heard it too. The human cries had woken the children too, and they all rubbed their eyes as they slowly came back to the present. Sam looked at him, questioning, and the slight tilt of her head told him that she was listening out for the sound again.

"Hello?"

And there it was. A woman's voice, calling out.

"Hello?" echoed Sam.

"Where are you?" called the woman.

Sam stood, the children either side of her following her with their eyes, regrouping in her absence.

"In here" replied Sam, moving towards the entrance of the cave.

A moment later Jack saw a silhouette at the cave's entrance, and as his eyes adjusted he could make out who it was- Laira. She entered and looked around at who was in the cave.

"Oh, praises!" she sighed with relief. "Is everyone okay?"

"All except her" replied Jack, gesturing towards the teacher as he stood with the young boy still cradled in his arms now awake.

"Merien. Oh… what happened?" she asked, kneeling to look over her friend.

"We were coming into the cave for shelter when she tripped and hit her head"

"She should be fine in a couple of days with rest" supplied Sam.

"And the children?" asked Laira, gently stroking the face of the one near her as she looked them all over.

"A little shaken up, but otherwise okay" said Jack, placing the small boy down.

"Their parents were in a cave not far from here. They came back to the village- what's left of the village- to look for them. Gredon said they had been with their teacher… they will be so relieved that they are all okay. I can't thank you enough" she said to Jack, before also glancing towards Sam as well. "Really"

"No problem"

"I should take the children back. Would you mind at all staying with Merien? I promise I won't be long. I will bring others back who can take her to my home to recover"

"Of course" replied Sam.

"Need a hand?" asked Jack, ever the gentleman, gesturing to the group of children surrounding the familiar face.

Laira hesitated for a moment before accepting his offer. With a glance back over his shoulder at Sam he walked over to the woman and children, allowing a smaller child to climb on his back while two more held his hands. Sam smiled at the sight as she sat, relieved to have the time alone for a moment while thinking about the situation she had gotten herself into. They didn't yet know the condition of the Stargate, if it had in fact survived at all. Without a Stargate, they would be reliant on allies with ships, but last she had heard, and from what she could estimate given their previous locations, they were at least ten months away, maybe more, maybe a little less. What worried her more was that, since Teal'c and Daniel went through, she'd heard no radio chatter. Either they weren't getting through, or the never would again.

Which meant that, for the moment at least, she was stranded indefinitely on a planet far, far away with her commanding officer for whom she had noticed a growing attraction that were not entirely appropriate. They would undoubtedly help rebuild the village, but then what? How long would they be trapped together in closed quarters, the only two Earthlings here, while they waited for a rescue that may come sooner or much later?

She stopped herself. There was no point worrying until she had assessed the condition of the Stargate.

And she wouldn't be doing that until they had all eaten something and the chaos had died down a little. The same would be said for those back home- until the refugees were dealt with and an assessment done on the condition of the gate, they would hear nothing, as to be expected. All they could do for the moment was wait and hope.

It wasn't long before two men with a makeshift stretcher came looking for her, and together, along with Merien, who had thankfully regained consciousness for a moment before again falling asleep, they went back to the village.

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Like I said… short and sweet.


	3. There's A Hiccup A Big One

Please note, that the prelude at the very beginning was set 100 days and nights after the meteor storm. I wasn't sure that was clear. Oh, and I wont be Laira bashing. It won't be necessary.

_Meanwhile, back in the village…_

Laira watched from across the room as Jack slid the child off his back and released the two that held his hands. All three raced to their parents who folded them in hugs and kisses, cries of joy coming from the small group.

"I cannot thank you enough for what you did Jack. The children of this village are it's life-blood, and it truly is a wonderful thing to see them all safe"

"It was nothing, really" he said, dismissing her praise. Truly, all he'd done was sit with them in the cave, telling them stories when they got scared or watching them sleep. He didn't think that was anything special.

"It still means a great deal to us" she said, and hugged him. Jack hesitated for a moment before returning it. He'd noticed the woman's slight attraction, but he didn't think anything of it. Perhaps, if things were different- very different, he reminded himself- he could see himself returning the affection. She was a lovely woman, and she genuinely cared for her people and, it seemed, for him. But for the moment all he wanted to do was focus on helping these people and then getting home.

A moment later, when Laira had once again joined the group of villagers, Sam came through the door, the two men accompanying her, Merien on the stretcher between them.

"Carter" he greeted.

"Sir" she returned. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah. Two of the kids- their parents were among the refugees sent back. They'll stay with an uncle until we establish contact. Any news on the gate?" he asked, lowering his tone. He didn't want to sound desperate to these people, but they needed to know their situation.

"No Sir. I was hoping to go inspect it later"

He nodded, his gaze on the people around them. They both noticed an older man walking towards them, his face grim.

"I do not mean to interrupt" he started. "But, it's important for you to know"

"What?" asked Jack, getting worried.

"The stone ring- your Stargate?- it's gone. I went to find our people that went to your planet, to see if they had returned now that the fire rain had stopped… but it wasn't there"

"Anywhere?" asked Sam.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry"

"Carter?" asked Jack, moving towards the door quickly, Sam on his heels.

"It could be buried Sir" she replied, giving them both some hope.

As they reached the door they spotted Laira. She turned to them when she saw their worried expressions.

"Is something wrong?"

"We need to find the Stargate" he said, as way of explanation. She seemed to have more questions, but before she could ask them they had proceeded outside and were running towards the Stargate. As they got nearer, their hopes fell- there were definite signs of destruction in the area, and the place where the Stargate had been had taken a direct hit. They ran over the rise of the crater, and while Jack stopped on the edge, looking down into the hole, Sam kept going. She looked around, spinning in place, frantically searching. But it was no use. The Stargate definitely wasn't there.

"It should _be _here", she said, desperately and to no one in particular.

"Carter" called Jack, the shock wearing off him faster, the need to calm his second in command greater than his need to panic.

"It might be buried, but given the depth of the crater and it's size, the meteorite must have been large enough to have buried it thirty, forty feet under ground at least, and without knowing the exact angle of the hit and the speed, it's impossible to…"

"Carter!"

He had made his way into the crater and had taken her upper arms, slightly shaking her. Her mind, in panic mode, was going through all the calculations and possible scenarios.

"Sir… I… I don't know where it is…"

"That's okay. We'll worry about it tomorrow. Right now, we need to go back, help these people, get a good nights rest… then we'll come back in the morning, with fresh eyes"

He sought her gaze, and once he had made it clear that it was no good panicking, he released her arms, and she nodded. He had knocked the sense back into her- something he was very good at doing- and had come up with a plan of attack- food, help, sleep, and then worry. He watched her look around the crater again, the desperation gone and replaced with sadness, and a little bit of fear. Together they climbed back up the crater's edge and went back to the village.

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Another short one. I really should be studying, but oh well… Maths can go die- have I ever told anyone how much I hate regression transformations and perpetuities? No? Well, I do- very much…


	4. A Plan Or Plan A

Maths and Theatre exams are now over… Woohoo!

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The following morning, after a restless sleep, Sam woke early to find Jack had already been up and dressed for some time. He greeted her silently with a smile, and offered her a bar from his pack for breakfast. They were thankfully self-sufficient for the next day or so before emergency supplies ran out.

Looking around the room, seeing nothing but basic furniture and a family still asleep having been displaced, Sam couldn't help but wonder about their future. The gate was gone, buried deep in the earth at best and destroyed at the worst. Even if they could find it, they still needed the DHD as well, and it was so much smaller and more fragile there was no telling what condition it could be in. The way she saw it, they had two options- settle in for the long haul and wait to be rescued, or hedge their bets and dig. She knew her own limitations, and she knew her commanding officer- if they didn't find the gate quickly, they would most likely resort to plan A anyway.

But what if the gate was only a little way under, and a weeks worth of digging would uncover it? Do they risk waiting when there might be an easier way?

Her thoughts were broken when she saw Jack gesture with his head outside, both still mindful that the young family asleep in the living area needed rest. The next few months would be tough for the people of the village, and they needed all the support they could get, be it a friendly ear or a little sleep in.

Once they were a fair way from the house, heading without words towards Laira's to discuss the day, Jack spoke up.

"So I was thinking…" he started.

"Uh oh" she muttered. Really, who could resist. He sent a little smile her way, clearly wondering whether to reprimand or laugh, and continued.

"I was thinking we have two options"

It was bizarre that they sometimes worked on the same wavelength like that.

"We could dig for the gate"

He paused and waited for an answer from her. She nodded and gave a look that begged him to continue.

"That might take forever"

"Or?"

"Or we could help these people rebuild and then do our bit while we wait for a rescue"

The tone of his voice suggested he didn't like either option much.

"I was thinking the same thing"

"And?"

"And I'd love to say it would be easy to find the gate and just dial back, but…"

"We don't know where it is."

"We don't know where it is, we don't know how deep it's buried, we don't know where the DHD is" she listed. "Truthfully, we'd be stabbing in the dark"

He sighed. "Great" he muttered.

"Sir… I don't want to give up- I'm willing to dig, spend a little time each day. Who knows- we might get lucky"

He was thinking it through, wanting to make the best decision. Even now, stuck on their own a million billion miles from home, she was still looking to him for leadership and guidance. He wanted to do the right thing, but he was worried that the right thing for him was not the right thing for her also. He was not that complex, and though there was no place like home, he didn't mind so much living a simple life for a while as he waited. But Sam- she was intelligent, driven and prone to boredom when she didn't have something to tinker with or mull over. He didn't want to push a simple life on her- didn't want her to resent him for giving up on her ability to get them home or for robbing her of the chance to at least try. He sighed again, mind made up.

"Tell you what…"

She glanced at him, before again watching where she put her feet.

"We dig a couple of hours each day- in the morning, maybe, while everyone is still busy being… domestic" He frowned. Not the word he was looking for, given the circumstances. "We'll help these people in any way we can, and we'll spend a few hours looking for the gate. Give it a couple of weeks. We don't find anything, then we'll leave it up to the boys back home to come and get us"

He glanced at her, wanting to gage her reaction- was it a good plan, or was it exactly what she didn't want to hear?

She was nodding, her brow slightly furrowed in thought. "Sounds good. I'll try and figure out the most likely place that the gate would be buried. It wont be entirely accurate, but given the situation…"

"Carter, don't sweat it"

"Yes sir" she said, a sliver of a smile gracing her face. Well, at least she was still smiling. They had reached Laira's home.

"You know… for what it's worth…" She hesitated for a moment and looked up at him earnestly, the way she did when she had something really important but personal to say. "Even if we are stuck… I don't regret staying"

She continued into the house, ducking her head with embarrassment. And with a smile, he realized what she was really trying to say- what she wanted to say but was forbidden- I don't blame you, I'm not mad to be here… I'm glad it's you.

He had never been more grateful to be her friend.

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	5. There's A Line So Don't Cross It

**A/N: **Sorry for the slight delay. I've finished all my exams, and had gone and bought NCIS S5 and The Tudors S2, so needless to say, I've been… very busy. Also, our internet has been oh so cooperative, and I haven't been about to load a single page, let alone log on to update the last couple of days. Apologies. Oh, and I've used the Aussie spelling, rather than American… quite a lot… just so you know…

As always, enjoy.

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A few days later, Jack and Sam had finally settled into a routine. Getting up relatively early- though it was still a slight sleep in compared to when they were on earth- they would work in the crater until midday, when the heat and overwhelming hunger would take them back to the village for lunch. The afternoon was then dedicated to repairing those houses only slightly damaged, and drawing up plans for those that were beyond help and needed complete rebuilding. Jack noticed that, although she was physically very able to build with the rest of the men, Sam often chose to help design the new structures to be built. No doubt she had already taken note of the styles used in the existing houses, and had figured out the flaws in their design. Jack had found a design on the table of their house the night before, and he could see where she was improving them.

At least, he thought, it kept her thinking- gave her a puzzle. He worried that, when all the distractions had run out and they were forced to just _wait_, she would start to rethink her decision to stay… might come to regret ever giving up her freedom to keep him company.

Though the first two or three days had been filled with awkward silences and the two of them trying to find safe conversation, by the fourth day they had relaxed enough to start laughing again at Jack's corny jokes, or to actively join in the conversation over dinner with the rest of the village. The young family who had been sharing their living room had moved back into their own house after minor repairs, and Laira had assured the pair that, since the owners of the house were safe on earth, it was only fair that Jack and Sam have it as their own. It was too small for any of the families, only having one bedroom, and most of the others had family or friends to stay with. Also, there were several other houses that were empty after the evacuation, so after some initial shuffling, the whole village had found a roof to sleep under. In the interest of keeping things fair and professional, Jack had at first suggested he take the couch, to which Sam had insisted they take turns. They left their personal belongings just inside the bedroom door, easy to get to while being out of the way.

Their digging had begun the second Sam had figured out the approximate location and was confident in her assumption, the shovels borrowed from Laira's storeroom. Though neither was very confident in actually getting home this way- what with the DHD still AWOL and the condition of the gate unknown- they relished the distraction and didn't talk about the chances. A little hope was better than no hope at all.

The others treated the pair like minor celebrities, insisting they share details about their life, about their adventures. Though they didn't like being the centre of attention (and certain stories were better left alone), their new friends seemed so eager, and the children so enthusiastic about hearing about it, that they couldn't help but oblige. Almost a week after D-Day (as Jack had so eloquently named it, in honour of the 'destruction' it had caused and the rebuilding effort that had followed), Jack and Sam were laughing and talking over dinner, recalling a time that Daniel and a young native girl were caught out on her home planet they had recently visited. Everyone found the story funny, even if they didn't know Daniel half as well as the earthlings did. Before long the whole table was joining in the conversation. When Jack went to tell the story about the night Sam took off a certain something while inebriated on another planet, she had kicked him under the table and sent a look towards him. Though he was in no way offended by the gesture, and both were in too good a mood to draw rank over kicking a superior officer, Jack couldn't help but go over in his mind how easily they were slipping further from their roles as soldiers and more towards the friends that he knew they were underneath.

He made a mental note to watch himself. They couldn't afford to slip too far- if they passed the point of no return it could only end in trouble and tears, neither of which he was particularly fond of, or would wish upon Sam. True, there was no denying the attraction that had been brewing for the last couple of years- he wasn't _that_ dumb. But it wasn't just their feelings on the line- they had both worked hard to get where they are, and although _he_ could deal with retirement (he'd tried it before, after all), he would not be responsible for putting the first black mark on Sam's record. She deserved better than that.

That night it had been Sam's turn to have the bed, and she had smiled at him and wished him a goodnight from the bedroom door before closing it with a duck of her head. He had paused, the remnants of his own smile still on his face as he let his gaze linger near the door for a moment, his thoughts catching up with him.

Yes, he would definitely have to watch out.

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The next morning found them rising later than usual and trudging down to the crater once again with their shovels. They didn't talk much, not because they didn't' have anything to say, but because they didn't have to say it. It had been a week exactly, and they were no closer to the 'gate, even with Sam recalculating it's position and the two of them working hard for hours each day. All they had managed to do was move a lot of dirt from one place to another. Sam doubted the 'gate had been destroyed, given it's material composition, but she wasn't confident on finding it either.

Jack had all but given up at this point, though he still loved the digging. There was something therapeutic about it- the constant motion, not worrying about anything but the feel of your muscles as they did their job. It was both mentally relaxing and physically taxing, and by lunchtime, both were more than ready for food and a time out.

"So, Carter… favourite colour?"

She did a double take and gave him a look.

"Favourite colour, Sir?" she asked, failing to hide the massive half smirk half grin on her face.

"Yeah" he replied, as though it was the most normal thing in the world.

She took a second to compose herself before answering. "Blue, Sir. Though I also like green and orange"

"What type of blue?"

"Not Air Force blue" she replied with amusement.

"No?"

"Mmm, I'm more of a cornflower blue sought of person"

"And your shade of green?" he asked.

She again grinned at his antics, but indulged his game. "Kelly green. My Grandmother was Irish," she added, but way of explanation.

"Hmm" he hummed, as though in thought.

"And you, Sir?"

"Me?"

"You favourite colour?"

"Don't have one"

"Oh, come on" she said, as though coaxing out a secret.

"Fuchsia"

She snorted and desperately tried not to giggle. The mental image of her commanding officer in a Fuchsia shirt was too much, really.

"Why is that funny?" he asked, a shit-eating grin on his face despite his attempt to remain serious.

"No reason"

"Fine, fine. For real?"

She nodded.

"I would say… Maroon"

"Odd choice. Why's that?"

"It's like… Christmas. Maroon and dark green, together, makes me think of a white Christmas"

She nodded, agreeing with that assessment.

"So…" he said, wanting to get back to the game before they could start to think too much about home. "Favourite type of dog?"

"Wow, a hard one"

"Really?" he asked, genuinely interested. He figured, since she had Schrodinger, she must be a cat person. Sure, she loved Cassie's dog, but still…

"Yeah. I had a couple of dogs growing up. One was Mark's, one was mine. I like dogs, but given how much we're away..." She didn't finish. They could both deduce the ending.

"So… favourite?"

"Well… I like bigger dogs. Labs, obviously. Retrievers. Border Collie's are great- Sher-Tahn was a Border Collie" Jack figured she must be referring to her childhood dog. "German or Aussie Shepherd are good- I had a cross between the two. Newfoundland's are sweet and make me laugh…"

She trained off, and Jack was amused to see her actually think about it, not just go with the obvious.

"Sher-Tahn?" he asked, breaking her thoughts.

"That was the name of Mark's dog. My dog was called Buzz…"

He gave her a look.

"Well, we both loved The Jungle Book and I liked Buzz for Buzz Aldridge" she said with a shrug. He grinned and kept walking.

"You know it was Sher-_Khan_, right?"

She laughed openly, her embarrassment forgotten. "Yes Sir. We just didn't want to be _too _obvious"

He grinned again and kept walking. She was amused that he knew that, and was once again reminded why he would know a name from a child's book.

"And you?" she asked as they reached the main dining hall of the village. "What dogs do you like, Sir?"

"Uh, about the same. Collie cross Shepherd would be my ultimate choice" he said with a grin as he disappeared into the room. She grinned back, though he was already gone, and continued inside. She couldn't help but wonder how many times they could play this game before the questions started getting more personal. She could only hope that he wouldn't introduce the village to "Truth or Dare". As much fun as it could be, she didn't want the Colonel daring her to do _anything_.

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**A/N: **R&R


	6. That's Something

**A/N: **Another short one, after that long one I gave you. And hey, two in one day… just to make up for the long wait before.

**One week later…**

Jack and Sam had been digging less and less these days. They had been sleeping in a little more, talking over breakfast rather than just scoffing it down, and been strolling to the crater engaged in their 20 questions game. Even their digging hadn't been as enthusiastic. Whereas before they had been eager and ready to work hard for hours on end, the last few days they had found the conversations in between extending, the amount on a shovel decreasing and time for lunch getting earlier and earlier. Sure, they justified it- they needed to freshen up after working, they were getting to know one another better, or someone in the village needed a little extra help with a design or with cutting the wood. But truthfully, the reason they were decreasing their efforts was because, without saying it, they were close to throwing in the towel and accepting that the 'gate was not to be found… at least not by them. And though Sam had again re-jigged her estimations as to its whereabouts days ago, when she had again offered to do so now (for the third time), Jack had refused. They just simply weren't succeeding. Jack again felt the pang of guilt hit him as he was reminded that the one person who could have got them home- had she had the technology of their home planet- was stuck here, all because she didn't want to leave him behind. Not only that, but her brilliance was not being used, and he could tell that she was just itching for a harder puzzle to solve than roof beams or theoretical trajectories. She was more than this life, and he had got her stuck here. His mood at the moment was not as light as he'd been before.

On the way back to the village for lunch Sam started the conversation he had been trying to avoid while they wiped their brows with their tee shirts. Yes, he'd admit, he'd peeked at her in her black tank top throughout the morning. Okay, so it wasn't _the_ tank top, but it showed her working muscles more than her tee shirt ever did.

"Sir. I been thinking…"

"Just for something new and completely different"

She shot him a look of indignation, but he could tell she was far more amused than offended.

"We've been digging for two weeks"

"Yes"

"And we haven't got any closer… that we can tell"

"Nope"

"Well… I think we should… " she sighed. "I think it's time to admit defeat Sir"

He took a deep breath and half grimaced. He'd been expecting that.

"Yeah" he said on exhaling, his tone suggesting he agreed, but he really wished he didn't.

"I mean, I've thought about every possible angle the 'gate could have been hit at, and we've covered as much ground as we could to find it, but…"

"Carter" he said, cutting her off. He turned to her, though his current mood meant he kept his gaze mostly on the ground rather than on her and she could tell it was from guilt. "It's not your fault we can't find the 'gate. It's not anyone's fault. That's just the way it is"

"Yes Sir" she sighed. "I'm just so… frustrated. Perhaps if I weren't so underprepared, or they had some of the technology we had back home, I could find us a way back…"

"If you weren't stuck here, you mean" he said bitterly.

"What? No!"

And the way she physically reeled as though struck told him she hadn't meant that at all. Once again, he'd gone and stuck his foot in his mouth.

"I meant if I had more equipment, more information. Yeah, okay, being stuck here isn't the greatest situation… but I don't regret staying behind"

She was so earnest, so God-damn loyal, that Jack now felt even more guilty. She honestly didn't blame him at all for being trapped here. The only cause of her frustration and anger truly was that her brilliant mind couldn't find a way home without the help that they didn't have.

"You should" replied Jack, unwilling to let himself off that easily.

"Well, I don't" she said sincerely.

He looked up at her and they shared a moment- as they often did- where one look was worth an entire conversation.

"At least it's not Antarctica" she quipped.

He grinned widely, the first time in days. "Nope… it's not"

They turned and continued walking side-by-side, not bothering with conversation.

He had to agree; it was good to not be freezing your ass off with grave injuries and no idea where you were. Sure, they were stuck. But they knew what planet they were on; they had food, shelter, health and other people for company. Okay, so it wasn't the Ritz, but it could have been much worse. And to top it all off, they had each other- a friend who not only understood their situation, but who understood _them_; someone who knew their every nuances, when to make them laugh, when to leave them alone. Someone who knew what Christmas was without needing a history lesson. Who didn't ask the meaning of "D'oh", or think him strange for craving a hamburger.

That was something.


	7. Cards And Calendars

The next installment. A huge big thank you to all my reviewers- I know it can seem like a waste of time to have to press the button and write something, especially if you're going off to read another story, so for those who take the time to leave feedback, please know I do read it, I do appreciate it and I am thankful for every work you write. Oh! I might be getting a job, which is very good, but also means I won't be sitting around the house writing anymore.

Enjoy…

**SJ**

There were some things that Sam and Jack did so in sync, so flawlessly, that they didn't even really notice that they were doing it. The way they walked into town each day, side by side, was natural and well practiced. Though they didn't have their weapons, they fell into step as if this were any other recon mission, every time.

Making breakfast, too, was a joint effort of fluid motion, as they moved around each other in the kitchen, cutting up fruit or heating water. Though lunch and dinner was usually a town event (and therefore they were thankfully not reliant on Sam's cooking), breakfast was their time, and they had eased into a routine seamlessly.

But not everything was easy between them. Though she had tried to hide it, probably so she didn't upset him or give him the wrong idea, Sam had made herself a calendar. It sat in the second draw of the bedside table- her assigned draw- and she marked each day with the date and any events expected. He had discovered it when he went looking for her radio, and though he wasn't surprised she made one, it made him realize that there were some definite differences between them. He had lost track of time only a few days after they arrived, and certainly after they stopped digging. Each day, though busy in itself, blended into the last. The reconstruction was like the digging- therapeutic in its simplicity- and Jack really couldn't care less that he didn't know the exact number of days they had been here. What difference did it make anyway?

Apparently Sam had other ideas. Thinking back through the three weeks they'd been on the planet, he noticed that she had been living her life according to the calendar. Weekends, she would sleep a little more and ease up on the work hours. Weekdays, she would work a little harder, and her meals would be at specific times.

Really, Jack couldn't believe he hadn't noticed sooner.

He hadn't said anything, but it made him uneasy. No, he was not willing to just let go of their life on earth. He knew they would one day get back. But he figured that, since they were here, they might as well assimilate as much as possible. Maybe they wouldn't feel so homesick if they accept that, for the time being, this was their home.

And though Sam had been nothing short of fantastic when it came to embracing the villagers, and accepting their way of life, the calendar was obviously a daily reminder for her that this was _not_ her life, and they would one day be back in a world where her intellect could be used, she could again see her family and they could experience the taste of mangos, which this planet was seriously lacking.

As per usual, Jack took it upon himself to shoulder the guilt- _he _wouldn't leave, _he_ had taught them to stick together and now _she_ was stuck.

In an effort to make her see that he didn't mind her view of things, Jack had left the calendar on the bed, knowing it was her turn for the bedroom that night and she would no doubt figure out what it meant.

That's where she found it when they had returned from dinner. Neither one was tired, so they agreed to change into their nightclothes and stay up talking for a while. Jack had found an old deck of cards in his vest pocket the day they had arrived, which was a constant source of amusement. But when Sam had emerged from the bedroom unchanged with the calendar in hand, an expression that was half confusion half accusation, Jack had absentmindedly gathered up the cards while searching her gaze to see what she really thought about his discovery.

"Found this on the bed"

"Yeah" he said, unsure.

"You went through my draw?" she accused.

"I was trying to find your radio for the scout tomorrow. I figured if we could keep in radio contact, it'd be safer"

She nodded, still angry, agreeing that it was a good idea. They had planned on going searching for any good grazing ground further north the next day, with a few of the men from the village. Since it was unchartered territory, he was going to leave a radio with Laira in case they came across trouble.

"I didn't mean to pry in your things- I knew you kept more personal things in your pack"

"Then why was this on the bed, Sir?" she asked, walking closer to the table while keeping a reasonable distance between them. Though their conversations- and her current tone- suggested they had long ago forgone the principals of the chain of command, they still used military terms. It was a hard habit to break.

He sighed. "Sam, I don't want to think I don't care. I do care. I _know_ that we've got… different ways of dealing. If keeping a record of the days is one of your ways, then you shouldn't fell like you need to hide it"

His use of her first name, and the sincerity of his tone made her soften. He wasn't being accusatory at all- he was trying to be helpful. He was trying to be her friend, rather than a fellow officer. She sighed and sat down at the small table opposite him, the calendar between them as they both studied the little marks she made on the fabric.

"I just… I like to know what day it is. I like to know if there is anything important that I need to remember- that I might be missing. Structured days is a big part of my life- always has been…"

He remembered again that she was a military brat. She probably had an internal body clock at five.

"I didn't mean to hide it… I just didn't think you'd want it out where we could always see it"

She looked up at him, then back at the calendar.

"Sam"

She looked up when he once again used her first name. It was a rare occurrence, and twice in one conversation had to mean something. He held her gaze for a beat.

"Do _you_ wanna put it on the wall? Or maybe leave it next to the bed or something?"

"No, Sir, that's okay, I don't…"

"Sam" he said, more forcefully. "I _really_ don't mind. I know it means a lot to you. If you wanna put it up somewhere, you say the word and I'll go get the nails and hammer"

She looked down and looked over the fabric with its crude markings, then back at him.

"Okay" she said with a small nod.

"Okay" he mimicked.

"But in the bedroom- not where we see it every minute of the day"

"Okay" he watched her for a moment before getting up. "I'll go get the hammer"

Really, he only had to go across the room to the tower of drawers in the living room. Sam got up and went into the bedroom, deciding to put the calendar on the small space of wall next to the door. No point having it where everyone could see it, even accidentally. She didn't want to offend anyone with the assumption that she was somehow counting down the days until they got home. It wasn't about that. She knew it would at least be months- maybe longer, if allies were further away. Knowing the day was just her way of staying connected to earth, the same way Jack went fishing on Sundays.

Jack came into the room and gestured with the hammer to the wall she was staring at. She nodded, and he knew that the choice of wall was a smart one. He too was conscious of offending anyone. He hammered the nail in until just the tip was sticking out. She took the material and ripped a small hole in the top, placing in on the nail. The both stepped back and stared.

"Well, it's no Rembrandt, but it certainly brightens the place up a little"

Sam snorted and walked out of the room shaking her head. Jack followed with a proud little smirk.

"Now all we need is some lemon paint for the kitchen, some stain for the boards, and hey presto, it's a new house"

He gave a little arm gesture for good measure, and Sam couldn't help but lightly giggle at his antics.

"Lemon?" she asked. He couldn't know she would want a yellow kitchen, could he? She'd never been _that_ drunk around the guys.

"Yeah. It's warm, but neutral. Reflects the sun in summer, and keeps it light in winter" he quipped, sounding like an exaggerated salesman, though there was a hint of sincerity in his voice. Sam grinned again as he took out the abandoned cards and shuffled without breaking the conversation.

"Why, you don't like lemon? Because I'm open to lime, antique white, even baby blue. But _no_ salmon. Of any type"

She laughed again. "No, Sir, lemon is fine. Great, even"

"Great?" he asked, letting the 'serious' face drop for a second without losing the grin.

"Yeah. Believe it or not…"

She trailed off, suddenly very aware whom she was talking to.

"What?" he asked, his grin getting wider. "What?!" he insisted when she didn't answer, letting out a half laugh.

"Nothing"

"Oooh-no. You don't get out of it that easy. What?"

"I just… always wanted a light yellow kitchen. That's all"

He gave a small laugh. "Seriously?"

"Yeah" she insisted, when she saw he wasn't going to give her nearly as much crap about it than expected. "When I was a kid…" she sobered a little. "When my Mom was still alive, our kitchen was light yellow"

"Yeah?"

She nodded, her smile faltering just slightly. "Yeah. I always wanted a yellow kitchen after that. We moved a lot with Dad after Mom died"

"Was that hard?"

"Not so bad. We didn't move as much as other kids. Still, it took some time to adjust, especially since we'd always just been in the Springs as kids with Mom. Mark took it harder. I could focus on school… he wasn't into that, and he found it real hard to keep friends"

"That why…" he trailed off, not wanting to intrude.

"Yeah. It wasn't just that he blamed Dad. It was that our life completely changed after Mom. He doesn't like change. Another reason why he doesn't like the Air Force. He wants to be in control, not be told where to go and when to go there. Still, things are good now. They've been on the mend since Dad and Selmak, I went over last Easter- when I requested that leave- and we're going to have Christmas…"

She suddenly stopped and ducked her head. Christmas. It was only two months away. It would take a minor miracle to get them home before then.

"…We were thinking of having Christmas at their place with Julia's family as well"

Jack was suddenly very aware of the mood change.

"That's good… that you're on the mend"

"Yeah" she replied. She was still in a good mood, but he could tell she was fighting with herself to keep it that way. They watched him deal out the cards for a moment.

"So, yellow for the kitchen…" he started, making her grin. Always trying to get her to smile, she thought. "What about the living room?"

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"Carter, I love yellow, but not for the _whole_ house"

"Well, in that case, we could do yellow for the kitchen with a white dividing strip, like a fake picture rail. Then white for the living room"

"Sounds good. Have you been thinking about this already?" he joked.

"A little" she said cheekily.

He laughed.

"But we'd have to leave the doorways as they are- I like the wood" she continued.

"I like the way you think"

"What about the bedroom?" she asked, not a hint of suggestion in her tone.

"Hmmm… it would have to be neutral… we both use it, after all. And I am not sleeping in a pink room"

Sam snorted again at the idea of Jack surrounded by bright pink.

"Maybe… peach?"

"Peach not too close to pink for you Sir?"

"Mmm, good point"

"Baby blue?"

"You don't mind blue? Oh, of course you don't. Well… yes, I think baby blue would do just nicely. With a nice quilt on the bed"

"Would just _make _that room, Sir" she said with a full blown smile.

"Cool. You got any sevens?"

He grinned, and she grinned back.

"Go fish"

"Ghah, damn"

"You got a ten?"

"Cheat" he muttered, handing over his card.

"Sir! I would never" she exclaimed, feigning outrage.

"What, you never counted cards?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"First, that's blackjack. Second, whether or not I've counted cards while gambling is, with all due respect, none of your business"

"Samantha Carter, are you telling me you've used your super-human computer brain to _cheat_ while gambling?"

"No… I'm saying I've used my above average ability at mathematics to accurately predict the likelihood of success using a mathematical formula, which assigns value to each already drawn card and calculates the probability of a win based on the cards not drawn yet"

He laughed at her, and she grinned. Yes, she was capable of making fun of herself, when the occasion called for it.

"You mean, you _cheated" _he replied, drawing out the word.

"Well Sir, technically it's not cheating. While casinos hold the right to kick you out for doing it, counting cards is not actually cheating. You just have to know how not to get caught"

"Oh. And how is that?" he asked with a smirk.

"Sir… there have been many times when I have hated being a woman, particularly a woman with natural blonde hair surrounded by flyboys…"

He sent a glare in her direction.

"…getting past security by claiming to be an idiot is not one of them"

Jack laughed. An actual laugh. The mental image of Sam, dressed to the nines, a ditzy smile on her face, twirling her hair, convincing a security guard the _she _of all people was a complete idiot who had no idea what counting cards was, he would not easily forget.

"And if you tell anyone I did anything of the sought, I will deny it forever and kill you without leaving a trace"

"Watch it. That's insubordination" he smirked.

"So sue me. You got a six?"

**sj**

Okay, a little OOC, but I wanted to lighten them up a little at the end. Let me know what you think.


	8. Injury

I really, really sorry, but I won't be updating for at least a week after this one. I'm going away with friends to the beach to celebrate no more high school, so I won't be able to update while I'm away. To make up for it, this one is a little longer.

I also used a VERY familiar line from another episode, just because it fit, and I know when I read stories, I love to see familiar lines in different places. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

**SJ**

The following day, after a good nights rest and a big breakfast, both Sam and Jack joined a group of men from the village in the house at the furthermost border of the village. Though the men had been reluctant to let Sam come- given she was a woman and had usually kept to socializing with the women while they had been there- they knew it was not their place to refuse her. She was of military background, she was tough as nails (if they believed the constant stories at dinner), and her commanding officer- a man they had come to trust and admire- had full confidence in her abilities. Though there were a couple of men who saw her as weaker or perhaps a liability, they kept their views to themselves, and for that she was grateful.

Jack, ever the strategist, had drawn up a rough plan of the land on the ground before them, and Sam had assisted, having a better memory of what the aerial probe had seen all those weeks ago. It wasn't perfect, but it was more than they had before.

They decided that they would move north in a straight line like a wall, the group of ten split into pairs. They wouldn't be further apart than shouting distance, just in case they came into trouble. Because they knew how to use it properly, the two earthlings would keep the second radio with them. They were naturally paired together, and nobody questioned the match. They had obviously done scouting before, and seemed to work effortlessly as a team, so there was no good reason to interfere with that.

When it came time to prepare both Sam and Jack gave their own pieces of advice for what to pack. It would be an all-day scout, maybe overnight if they went slow. Knowing what to pack, Sam had given a small lecture on survival and how to make the most of the little you had. Just to be safe, they took with them a stretcher cloth (they could find two sticks later) and extra bandages, both of which the men wouldn't have thought of otherwise. All the advice was taken on board, and the villagers were grateful. When it came time to move out, Jack had caught Sam's eye with a small grin, which she had returned. It was nice knowing she could share her knowledge and was accepted as a woman, even if it wasn't immediate.

"So… Carter" he said, as they headed into the forest. She looked up. "You looking forward to our little camping trip?"

"Yes Sir. It'll be nice to do something a little different for a change"

"You mean, without getting blown up, or rained on with bullets, or kidnapped?"

"Yeah. Exactly"

He grinned. "I know what you mean"

They continued walking for a couple of minutes before Sam unexpectedly lurched forward. Jack instinctively reached out to catch her, but by the time his hand was on her arm, she had righted herself and had an endearing expression of surprise on her face.

"You 'right?"

"Yes Sir. Just wasn't paying attention to where I was walking"

They both looked at the ground at her feet, which was covered with leaf litter. Underneath they could see the roughness of the earth from the rocks and roots that jutted out.

"Well, just… be careful. We don't want an injury"

"Yes Sir" she said, a little sheepish and a little grateful.

No sooner had they turned back to keep walking when suddenly Jack lurched forward. Sam tried to grab his arm, but he was already rolling down a small embankment into a patch of grass.

"Sir!"

She carefully made her way down the small hill and went to his side. He was pushing himself up off the ground onto all fours a little stiffly, though he didn't look particularly injured. He shook his head a little, making it look all scruffy and oh so cute, and rubbed the leaves out of it.

"You okay?" she asked, kneeling next to him.

"I see what you mean by paying attention", he said, pushing himself up further. She had one hand on his elbow and watched him carefully, discreetly looking for any signs he was hurt and not telling her. He'd done that before, after all. They could hear the other men shouting something to each other in the distance before Kurin, a young man of about twenty, looked over the small rise from which they'd come.

"Are you two okay? We heard you shout"

"We're fine. Just took a little trip," said Jack. Sam gave the smallest of grins at the earth pun.

"You sure?" he asked, worried.

"Yeah, positive"

As he went to step forward, Jack seemed to stumble. Sam was immediately at his side. She watched, one hand on his arm, as he tested his left foot. Though it seemed fine when he was standing still and favouring it, the moment he put more pressure he winced and it gave out. He tried again, but this time the ankle took even less pressure.

"Sir?"

He gave a frustrated sigh. "I think I've sprained it"

"Is it bad?" asked Kurin, having no idea what sought of injury he was talking about.

"No" replied Jack with irritation. "Just really, _really_ annoying"

"Shall I tell the others that we must go back to the village?"

Just as he said that the whole group came into view, having decided it was better to regroup. They saw the way Sam had discreetly moved her shoulder to be under one of Jack's arms to be used as support, and they knew he was injured.

"Jack?" asked Karl, a big burly man of about Jack's age. The two had become friends quickly, both being relatively quiet with a quirky sense of humour.

"I'm okay. Just a little sprain. Some ice and some rest, it'll be fine"

Jack knew there was no point offering to keep going- Sam would never allow it, and he'd had enough sprained ankles in his life to know that aggravating it was not a smart move. Karl and another man of the same strong stature made their way down the embankment to Jack's side. With one on each of Jack's arms they all but lifted him up the rise to the flatter ground. Sam followed with an amused smirk on her face. These two looked like they could tackle a bear, but really they were as harmless as a fly and as sweet as honey.

"Thanks" said Jack, a little embarrassed at the fuss. "Listen, don't stop the scout on my account. Here" He handed Karl his radio. "You take this and keep going. I'll head back to the village and let them know you've got it"

"How does it work?"

"If you hear a voice, you press this button and hold it down nice and firm. Then you talk into this bit. Once you've finished talking you let go of the button so the other person can talk back"

"Are you sure?" asked Karl. Jack could see they were worried about him and about going on with something of his.

"Look, don't even worry about it. Just put it somewhere in your pack and forget its there. It's only for emergences anyway, if you need to let the village know something straight away, or vice verse"

Karl nodded and put the radio in his pack.

"What about you?" asked Kurin.

"I'll go with him back to the village. I know how to take care of these injuries" said Sam with what Jack could see was a glint of amusement.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. There's no point rearranging the pairs now" she said.

They all nodded and went their separate ways, the pairs of men once again fanning out. Jack didn't argue with the deal, but once they were out of earshot he turned to Sam.

"You seemed a little eager, for someone who was itching to do something other than cook bread"

She gave a non-committal shrug and kept walking. They got to a small niche in the track where the roots of a tree had caused a rock to jut out. It was only knee high and Jack could still put minimal weight on his ankle, so Sam got up, took Jack's hands while he put his good foot against the edge of the rock, and hoisted him up. The move was one similar to what they did in Antarctica, and had been well practiced since. The force of the pull made him almost crash into her, but her hand around his back and his on her shoulder steadied them. Her other hand rested against his chest.

Both were more than a little aware of their proximity. They kept walking without meeting each other's gaze.

"You know, you could have gone on with them. We're only ten minutes from the village- one of the guys could have taken me back and then rejoined the group"

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't have a partner"

He blinked once to remind himself of what she was referring to.

"Besides, I don't think they like me all that much" she said, trying to sound light and failing. She hated that she sounded like a kid in the playground, but sometimes she didn't get a good feeling from a couple of the guys.

"What'r you talkin' about? Karl _loves _you. And Kurin thinks you're the bees knees, with all your gadget ideas"

"Well, yeah, _they _like me. But I've been friends with them since we got here. Some of the others…"

She looked away as though ashamed, and Jack got a little worried.

"What?" he asked gently, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

"I'm sure it's nothing, but… the way some of them look at me"

"Who?"

He was starting to bug himself with all his one-word questions, but he needed to know.

"Malak for one"

Jack knew of the guy but had never really liked him or made any effort to be his friend. The guy just gave off a bad vibe.

"What about him?"

"Just the way he and his friends look at me… like I'm a piece of meat"

Jack could hear the vulnerability underneath her disgust.

"It just… puts me off, Sir. I dunno, it's stupid I guess… but…"

"What?"

"I would rather come back to the village with you… I feel safer. Even though I know Karl would be there, and I'm grateful for his friendship… I feel safer coming back with you"

She said the last words so quietly, as though they were something to be ashamed of. Jack hated that even after years of working together, she didn't get that she didn't have to prove herself to him anymore. Yes, she was a woman. But first and foremost she was his friend- a good friend- and he wanted her to be comfortable enough with herself and her beliefs that she could talk to him about it without feeling guilty or weak.

"I feel better knowing you're coming back with me"

The confession shocked them both, and Sam looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I've seen the way he looks at you. I'm not blind. And as much as I know you _hate_ it when I bring up your gender, given the trouble guys have given you before on other planets, particularly when me and the guys weren't around, I feel better knowing you aren't in a situation that could get messy"

Jack could see the relief on her face, not just for his acceptance, but also because she now knew he cared about her enough to worry. She knew that being a woman and being exposed to less liberated societies put her at risk. The incident with Turghan proved that very early in the team's career. But she was thankful that she didn't have to prove her worth to him- she knew his worry was acceptable and for the rights reasons.

"If you knew, why would you have wanted me to stay?"

"'Cause I knew you were looking forward to getting out of the village. You shouldn't have to give up something _else_ on my account. Besides… I figured if you didn't bring it up, then maybe you weren't as worried by it as I was"

Again, Jack was shocked at himself that he had revealed his feelings so deeply without meaning to. His tone revealed he was indeed _very_ worried by the men. He was even more shocked when, without warning, Sam stopped and turned her face into his shoulder, hugging him tightly. He returned it, his arms going around her shoulders, his head ducking unto the crook of her neck. They had hugged like this before, and Jack hoped they would do so again.

"Thank you" she muttered into his shirt.

"For what?"

"For being there for me"

"Always" he said, so quiet she barely heard it. But she _did_ hear it, and she hoped he wouldn't notice the way her heart fluttered ever so slightly at the word. It was one word, but it meant so much.

They pulled away and looked at each other for a moment, before Sam ducked her head, Jack looked up and away and they turned back to the village that was at the other side of the clearing. Though he didn't want the moment to end, he knew it was best that it did. Things could only end in tears if they even _thought_ about going down that path.

Once they reached the house Sam let him take the front doorframe for support.

"Wait here" she said, and it took Jack a minute to realize she hadn't used his rank. Moments like that were becoming more and more frequent, and Jack wasn't sure what he should do. To remind her to use the term would surely take them fifteen steps back. But to overlook the lack of rank meant that each day they got further away from the only thing that reminded them of why they ignored the attraction in the first place.

Sam returned a moment later with a bandage and another cloth.

"What'r you doin'?" asked Jack, more than a little amused.

"You need to ice that, Sir, but we don't have any ice. I figure if we could go to the creek and let it sit, the water might be cold enough to deal with the swelling a little"

"See, now, I knew there was a reason I kept you around" he joked, and she beamed.

They resumed their previous walking position and continued down the clearing to the creek. After taking off his shoes and rolling up his pants, Jack eased himself down a small slope to sit on a rock at the edge of the water, and put his feet in. Sam followed, and he was a little surprised to see she too had disposed of her shoes and rolled up her pants. She sat on a rock next to his and looked over the water. It was still relatively early. Barely an hour ago they had been prepping for the scout, and now they were sitting at Jack's favourite fishing spot with their feet in the water, not a care in the world. Like he said, Jack could easily get used to the simple life.

He heard Sam sigh next to him, and he was about to suggest she go find something more exciting to do when he saw her lean back with her eyes closed, her face turned to the sun, her feet absentmindedly swirling in the water. He'd never seen her so relaxed and so… gorgeous.

Before he could turn away she turned to him and smiled, one hand shading her eyes from the sun. He grinned back.

"This is great", she said, turning back to the sun with her eyes once again closed.

"Yep. I told you. Maybe now you might take me up on the offer to come fishing"

"Don't make a promise you can't keep" she said lightly, a lazy smile gracing her features.

"I won't"

She smiled again, hearing the sincerity in his voice.

"Let me know when you wanna head back, Sir, and I'll do that bandage for you"

"Nah, I'm good for the minute"

Again she smiled, catching his real meaning.

"At least this time I won't have to set anything"

"And for that I thank God every day"

She giggled, and he was happy to hear the sound. He picked up a handful of pebbles and proceeded to throw them lazily into the water, watching as the ripples spread and then just stopped. He wanted this moment to last forever.


	9. Wild Horses Dancing In Paintings

Sorry for the long wait… schoolies was just awesome, so much fun, and a lifetime memory. To make it up to you, I've got two chapters… both of which I worked on this last week, even though I was away.

As always, mistakes are my own and please leave some feedback.

_sjsjsjsjsjsjsj_

After two weeks Sam was going crazy. Determined to make sure his ankle healed properly, Sam made sure he wouldn't put any unnecessary weight on it, which meant no fieldwork and no construction that couldn't be done from a chair. Karl had fashioned a crutch from a small log, while all the women in the village had cooked them meals and brought them over so they wouldn't have to walk to and from the communal meal gatherings. But even with all the doting and attention, Jack was going nuts being house bound, which translated into Sam going stark raving totally blinking nutty. He would fidget, fiddle, whine and, even when asleep, would snore. There was never any rest from the constant grating of his voice. And to top it all off, Sam had relinquished the bedroom to Jack while he nursed his foot, which meant her back was killing her from constantly sleeping on the small couch.

Ordinarily she loved her CO's company, but by God if she didn't get a rest soon, she'd smother him in his sleep, she was sure of it. How Janet ever survived, she'll never know. Her mood was worse than PMS, and Jack was glad he didn't see it often- he was genuinely scared.

Thankfully- because she chose to believe there was a God- after two weeks his ankle was healed enough to take the crutch away and deal with the smallest of limps, which he stubbornly hid anyway. He gladly rejoined the other men, taking on as much work as possible to stay out of Sam's hair. He wasn't an idiot; he knew he'd been a pain in the ass since he stuffed his ankle. And just to make sure she knew he was groveling, he let her have the bedroom for a whole week uninterrupted. She had refused to take it for two.

Despite the tension in the house, both officers worked hard to restore their relationship back to its previous condition once Jack had rejoined the men as before. Being stranded together was one thing, but hating each other's guts while stranded was a totally different matter. Neither of them needed the aggravation. Plus, their friendship- if that's what you would call it- was too precious to the both of them.

Jack knew he was forgiven for the bad attitude when Sam laughed loud and hard at one of his jokes at dinner- one he'd told a thousand times. For the first time in weeks the sound didn't seem forced or obligatory. She didn't stop at the first possible moment and when she met his eye after calming herself, he could see hers shone with tears and she had creases around her eyes from smiling. He loved that sight, particularly when it had been missing for so long.

Walking back to the house that night, side by side as usual, he had bumped her shoulder with his, his hands deep in his pockets. It was a gesture, nothing more, but the smile she gave him and the way she ducked her head told him that. With that gesture, they had finally reconnected any strands that had been broken by the tension.

"Favourite colour horse?" he asked, and she burst out laughing.

He couldn't help but grin along, and eventually, when they had to stop so she could lean against him because she was laughing so hard, he started laughing too. He'd forgotten what they were laughing at by the time they'd stopped laughing, but he didn't care. She was looking at him with such tenderness and amusement that he could do nothing but mirror her expression.

"Palomino" she said.

"Huh?"

"Palomino is my favourite colour horse. Or black"

"Oh… right… why?"

They continued towards the house.

"Why?"

"Yeah. Why those colours?"

Sam hesitated the way she did before revealing something personal, and he knew not to interrupt her thoughts.

"I have this picture… My mother… she was a painter… not professional or anything, just in her free time… but she was good. Really good" she added quietly with a tender smile. "She did this painting of me from a photo. I was at a trail-riding place in the country- I was about three. Mark had gone off on a ride, and I was left to hang around the stables with my parents. Anyway, I had wandered into one of the fields when Dad wasn't looking, and when they came to stop me, Mom stopped them"

Jack watched as the emotions of the memory flittered across her face. She was piecing together the story from a mix of memory and the story that was no doubt told to her a hundred times as a child, and her face was so open he was afraid to break the spell.

"Mom was watching from the fence. There was this _beautiful_ cream horse with white mane and tail… and she was following me. I had my… head down so you couldn't see my face very well under my hair"

Jack got a sudden mental image of a three-year-old Sam with golden hair over her face. He smiled and ducked his head.

"I was watching my feet… and I had a yellow flower in my hand, drooping down… and I didn't even notice that this monster of a horse was following me through the long grass. Mom whipped out her camera and took a photo… after the trainer had assured Dad that the horse was the gentlest creature on the face of the earth and wouldn't eat me"

She smiled and looked at him, then back to the path.

"The picture looked just like a professional set up… Mom went straight home and started the painting. She finished it in record time, and it hung in my room until… well, until Dad sold the house a couple of years ago. You couldn't see my face, but that didn't matter… as a kid I always felt like I was a princess and that old horse was my magical unicorn"

Jack was smiling, and though he could tell she was embarrassed, she was also proud. She wasn't talking about her childhood- a time when she believed in princesses like every other little girl. She was talking about her mother- a woman she admired and missed more than anyone… a woman she wouldn't get to know. She knew that Jack had seen the picture- it hung proudly in her spare room. By telling him this story, she was revealing something personal to him, like a part of herself she rarely showed.

Suddenly the setting for the painting made sense, the couple of times he'd noticed it. It was beautiful and sweet, though he could tell it was not professional. But Sam had it in an expensive frame on it's own wall. She was proud to show it off. And then another thing occurred to him. If so few people knew the story of the painting, then where did the two of them stand? Was this her way of saying her mother would have approved?

Approved of what?

Jack gave an imperceptible shake of his head to stop his train of thought.

"And black?"

"Huh?"

"Black horses?"

"Black Beauty, of course"

"Of course" he said with a grin, and a mild snort.

"So… what about you?"

"You think I know horse colours?" he asked incredulously.

"I think you know a whole lot of things you'll never admit to"

He cleared his throat and looked down as they reached their door.

"I like splodgy ones… like in the old Westerns" he added with a grin.

She snorted, and with a shake of her head went inside. He followed with a grin.

"Those are the Indian horses, Sir, not the cowboys. They're Pinto's"

"Whatever. Seriously. I could so do the Western thing… yee-ha and all that… with the guns and the rope and the… horseshoes…"

"Uh-huh…"

"I could!"

She gave him a look.

"So, Carter… do _you_ think _you_ could beat me in a horse race?"

"I almost beat Turgan's men… if there weren't so many of them…"

"Seriously?" he asked, a little awestruck. He knew there were some things she had left out of the report- another reason he was concerned for her safety here- but he never suspected an escape attempt on a horse would be one of them.

She nodded. "I got as far as half way through the forest before they caught up to me…"

"Bound and gagged? How the hell did you get on the horse?"

"Jumped"

He stared for a bit. "Bound and gagged?"

She got all sheepish.

"Jeesh… remind me never to piss you off…"

"There's no horses here"

"Same difference"

They grinned and sat by the fire on the couch.

"Listen, Carter… I'm sorry I was such a jerk"

"It's okay… I know how much you hate being stuck"

He shrugged. "Still, I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I'm sorry"

"Apology accepted Sir"

They sat for a minute, before Sam sighed and got up to go to bed.

"Goodnight, Sir" she said, and the way she said his title made it sound like a term of endearment.

"Goodnight" he muttered back.

He ended up falling asleep unchanged, dreaming about a little golden haired girl with brown eyes… though for the life of him he couldn't think of why.

_sjsjsjsjsjsjs_

_Be back soon…_


	10. The Streets of Heaven Are Too Crowded

_Part two… inspired by a West Wing quote… if you can see it…_

_That same night_

Jack jolted awake with a start in the middle of the night, knowing immediately something was wrong, and it wasn't a dream that woke him. He looked to the bedroom door and saw Sam standing there with a look of worry and confusion, her face illuminated by an eerie glow from outside. She had also been woken by something. Only a split second later they heard a scream and were both suddenly running out the door to the outskirts of the village. There seemed to be a crowd of people and lots of yelling.

They stopped in their tracks. The whole town was gathered outside a two-floor house that was glowing with flames, the upstairs floor already undoubtedly unable to be saved. They could see two of the children who lived there being clutched by their father, crying, while two men were restraining their mother closer to the blaze. Half the town was there, all in their nightclothes, and most were clutching onto relatives, either remembering the terrible fire rain or fearing for the village that surrounded the house. It took a minute for the two military officers to realize what the restrained woman was screaming, her cries fast and melding together, but when they did Jack's blood ran cold.

"No… no, no, you don't understand, my baby… my baby's in there… downstairs, my baby is downstairs… my baby, my Abby… oh Lord's please… my baby"

With a look of horror Jack turned back to the house that was now completely engulfed in flames, then back to the hysterical woman. Dear God. They weren't letting her inside. But nothing prepared him for his next sight. Before he could move or speak or do anything, he saw Sam run from his side into the burning building, dodging too fast to be stopped by the barrier of people watching aghast.

She ran _into_ the fire.

"Sam!!!" he screamed. But it was no use. She had disappeared into the bottom floor of the house, and he could see nothing but a red glow and smoke from the windows. The second's stretched into hours as the villagers surrounding the house settled into a deathly silence, watching, waiting… praying. Nobody said a word, and the poor mother could only watch on helplessly as the life of her child and her new friend now hung in the balance. The silence was only broken by the shouts of the men who had come back from the creek with buckets of water. Jack knew it was no use. The house would not be saved, and any minute he expected it to collapse in on itself.

He wouldn't realize that Karl was tightly holding him back until much later.

Then, like a vision, there she was in the doorway, an unmistakable bundle in her arms. Her white nightgown was singed and sooty and she was coughing like mad, but she was alive, and judging by the distressed cries of the bundle, so was the baby.

Both Jack and the child's mother broke free at the same time as Sam half ran towards them to escape the increasing heat. The mother took the infant from Sam, her exclamations of thanks too broken and scattered to be understood. She ran into the arms of her husband, who embraced his whole family, tears running down his face. Together they turned at watched as their house finally gave way under it's own weight and collapsed. If she'd been a minute longer…

Jack didn't notice any of that. He had taken Sam by the upper arms and was staring her in the face with a look of both fury and undeniable relief. Sam was coughing so violently she couldn't meet his eyes, and had cupped his elbows to support herself as she leant over.

"Are you _crazy_?! Don't you _ever_ pull a stunt like that _ever_ again… you have no idea… What the _hell_ were you thinking?! Don't ever…"

He was all but shouting in her face, his worry and rage making him shake her a little to get the message across. Unable to truly say what he wanted to say, and worried that her coughing hadn't ceased, Jack pulled her hard against his chest, one hand going around her shoulders and the other threading desperately into her hair. Her coughing slowly died down as he bit back tears.

"God, Carter… just… don't you _ever_ do something like that… _ever_ again. You could have been killed"

Even in their current states neither of them failed to notice the crack of his voice on the last word and the vulnerability it showed. He felt her arms tighten around his back, her fingertips digging into his shoulders, and he in turn clutched her closer, her ragged and raspy breath his constant reminder that she was still alive.

"I'm sorry" he heard her mutter into his chest, burying her face into the folds of his nightshirt. "I'm sorry"

"What the _hell _were you thinking?" he said quietly yet with no less passion, for lack of anything else. Truthfully, he wasn't expecting an answer. It was the only coherent though in his mind having almost lost her. Over two and a half months of no military fieldwork had changed- or perhaps normalized- his sense of danger in life-threatening situations. Though he wasn't expecting an answer he got one. Sam pulled her head away just enough that she could see the family, though she stayed nestled under his chin.

"I was thinking it was worth it"

They watched for a moment as the parents held their three children, tears of joy overriding the sorrows of losing their home. Homes could be replaced. Children could not. Jack knew this.

Jack let out a long breath, his arms instinctively tightening around her.

"You're no good to anyone dead. I won't go home alone" he said quietly, almost whispering, not sure which home he was referring to- Edora, Earth, or his house in the Springs. Reluctantly he loosened his grip, keeping one arm around her shoulders as another round of coughs assaulted her. Jack kept her at his side as they rejoined the villagers at a safer distance. The effort of the makeshift firefighters had been limited to containing the fire. Karl met Jack's gaze as they got closer.

"Perhaps you should take Sam back to the house. We'll be alright here. That smoke can't be good for anyone"

Jack nodded, grateful for the suggestion and recognizing it for what it was. Sam was too focused on catching her breath to notice just where Jack was taking her until they were half way back to the house.

When they got to the house Jack immediately took Sam into the bedroom. He helped her change nightdresses, not once even thinking that he was undressing her- this was more important than that, and she had a singlet and underwear on anyway. He then sat her down on the bed, pushing her back against the pillows gently despite her efforts to stay sitting. He went to the kitchen and returned a moment later with a bucket of water. Taking a small cup he filled it, and for the next half hour sat with her, watching closely for any indication that the smoke had done more that cause a nasty cough. They didn't speak, their only interaction being his passing of the water to her. Half the time she was drinking or taking deep breaths, clearing her lungs. The rest of the time they just watched each other openly, either forgetting or not caring that almost three months ago they would have looked away for fear of being caught. Nobody here would say anything, and there was no one in the room to notice. For the first time in a long time, they shared a moment that was just about them- no rules, no jobs, no friends. Just them.

Finally, when they were both ready to sleep, he put the cup on the nightstand and watched as Sam's eyes drooped and then closed. He continued to watch her, settling her down into the pillows more and rubbing his hand through her hair gently and tenderly. Not caring about her questions tomorrow he changed his own shirt and climbed into bed next to her, keeping a sheet between them. Though he wasn't game enough to wrap her in his arms, even if she was asleep, he felt the need to touch her, just to feel her. He took the hand that was closest to his and entwined their fingers, letting it rest lightly between them, hoping that in the morning they would still be there.


	11. There's That Line Again

_Okay, my plot bunnies have been going crazy, and I'm finally at a point in the story where I can use the first scenes that came into my head when thinking of this story. Therefore, I am proud to announce, that there will __be a second chapter very soon… That's right… very soon… Man I spoil you lot, don't I? =D_

_Sjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsj_

Sam woke the next morning more than a little confused. She was in the bed, which was normal given it was her turn, but her CO was lying next to her. She wasn't naked, for which she was incredibly thankful, and that answered a few of her questions regarding the sleeping arrangement. Also, she noticed after a minute that there was a thin sheet between herself and Jack- another reason not to think anything... untoward... happened. But what surprised and confused her most was that, on the bed between them, their hands were lightly tangled, his fingers threaded through hers, loose in sleep.

In an instant the events of the night before came rushing back. The fire, the house, the screaming of the young infant as she picked her up, watching as the flames came further down the stairs in front of her. She remembered the strangled and incomprehensible thanks of the child's mother. She remembered vividly the feel of her CO's arms around her as her lungs begged for fresh air, his voice in her ear asking meaningless questions that comforted her more than it should have. The way he clutched at her, fingers threaded in her hair. The way she could feel her heart thumping a million miles an hour, only to realise it was his heart she was feeling. She remembered the way he slowly fed her water when they got back to the house, his gaze tender and unwavering, as though he expected her to just disappear on the spot. She remembered how, in the moments before sleep finally took her, she had felt his hand run through her hair so softly, so gently, that she wanted to stay awake if only to feel the sensation again.

But she didn't remember him claiming the small space on the other side of the bed. And she certainly didn't remember him taking her hand and holding it through the night.

Sam smiled and looked at Jack's face as he slept, relishing the ability to study him so closely without having his question gaze meet hers. Looking out the window and seeing the sun had only just started to rise, she settled back into the pillows and let sleep reclaim her, unaware that her commanding officer was much better at feigning sleep than she realised.

As soon as he heard her breathing even out, Jack opened his eyes. He had woken the moment she had, when her fingers flexed against his as her mind woke up. He had felt the memories of the night before come back to her as her hand stiffened very slightly and her fingers twitched at the recollections. He had felt her gaze on his face for what seemed like an eternity, and could almost see her smile. He looked at her square in the face the way she had only moments ago. Her head was turned towards him, the light from the window behind him making her hair a little brighter and emphasising her smooth skin. Taking a leaf out of her book, Jack too closed his eyes and went back to sleep, aware that he was only delaying the inevitable.

_Sometime later…_

Jack woke again a couple of hours later, and immediately noticed a difference- Sam was no longer in the bed. Getting up slowly, rubbing his eyes and setting his clothes right, he scrubbed a hand through his bed hair, took a moment to shake the sleep from his head, and went out into the main room of the house. He found Sam sitting at the small kitchen table, her feet rested on the bottom support rung of the chair. She had a hot cup of something- probably tea- in her hands, while she looked out the kitchen window. There was a lazy smile on her face, and she hadn't yet changed out of her bedclothes.

There had been many times since they had been here that he had to stop and take stock of the domestic scene in front of him- Sam with the children, Sam learning how to make a particular dish from another woman in the village… even himself carving a particularly large bird at dinner, an action he had done at many Thanksgiving dinners. This was one of those domestic scenes. Trying not to dwell on that thought too long, Jack scuffed a foot as he walked, alerting her to his presence. She looked at him with a lazy smile- obviously she had heard him get up before.

"Carter" he said, without authority or demand. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"Sorry Sir" she said with a smile, clearly not sorry at all. "There's still fresh hot water on the stove, if you want some"

"Yeah… thanks"

Since running out of their secret stash of instant coffee almost a month ago, Jack had resigned himself to herbal tea that the villagers had. It wasn't anything he was used to, but Sam had convinced him to try it, and he enjoyed the person he shared a cup with, so he made himself drink it. Now, it was part of their morning routine.

Behind him he heard a sigh as she placed her cup on the table. He braced himself for her questions.

"Sir… about last night…"

"Sam…"

"No, Sir, I… I'm sorry"

He did a double take and spun around. Okay. Not what he was expecting.

"I shouldn't have gone in, you were right, it was stupid…"

"Sam…"

She stopped. Jack sighed and rubbed a hand over his face.

"I know why you did what you did… and while I wouldn't say I was happy with you at the time… I'm also proud of you"

She looked up from her hands.

"If you hadn't have done what you did, that little girl would be dead, and that family would have lost… so much more. It took a lot of guts. And you were right- it was worth it. Dangerous, stupid maybe… but worth it. I'm only sorry that… it wasn't me"

"Why?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Because… I hate seeing someone I care about put themselves at risk" he said quietly. They held each other's look; both sending and receiving the same message- please understand. I can't tell you, but please understand what it is I'm trying to say.

"We put ourselves at risk everyday. It's our job" she said quietly.

"I know… it's just…"

"Sir. I know too…"

They looked at each other for the longest time, and it took all their willpower not to just say what they wanted to say.

"And… thank you"

"For what?" he whispered.

"Being there for me… when I woke up"

"Always" he said softly.

If he hadn't looked back to the stove, he would have seen her eyes glisten with tears. Blinking them back, Sam went back to looking out the window. It overlooked a field and the creek beyond that. She heard Jack sit in the chair next to her.

There were times when the knowledge that one day they would be rescued was a great comfort. It may not be tomorrow, it may not even be this year… but one day an ally would come get them, and they could get back to their old lives.

This was not one of those times. The promise of returning brought with it the realisation and understanding that, should they act on their feelings, it could compromise everything about going back. Not only would it bring up questions about impartiality on the job- that were ridiculous in their own right given the feelings weren't going away even if not acted upon- but they could also be open to attacks from enemies of the Stargate Program. Firstly, their alien enemies would surely exploit the relationship for their own gain if it were discovered. Or perhaps the likes of Kinsey would jump on the opportunity to discredit SG-1, and both their names could be forever tainted by rumours and suggestion of conduct unbecoming. They both cared too much for each other and for their careers to let that happen.

On the other hand, Sam had said their allies- most likely the Tollan- were at least ten months away last they were on earth, and they had been heading in the other direction at the time. Sam knew (and Jack could guess) that the distance between them could have grown significantly given the Tollan's technology, and the time to get to the planet could have therefore been increased to well over a year, maybe even closer to two.

Could they really be expected to hold out for two years?

Suddenly feeling claustrophobic sitting in the small kitchen, Sam got up and headed into the bedroom to get dressed. Jack watched her go, and then turned back to the window, very aware of just how fine the line was that they were walking.

She came out a few minutes later in her usual attire. They had long ago adopted the clothes of the people here. He quickly occupied the room, changed, and met her outside the house, once again noticing the way the sun bounced off her hair, making it look a little fuzzy and brighter than usual.

"So, what are we doing today?" she asked cheerfully, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and grin at her attitude.

"Well, what would you like to do?" he asked, and she got a sense that he was mocking her somehow.

She shrugged. "It's Sunday. What do we normally do on a Sunday?"

"Carter, don't you think you're being a little… anal about the whole 'days of the week thing'?" he asked, keeping his tone light and free of accusation.

"You wanna act like it's Monday?" she asked incredulously, earning herself the mother of all eyerolls.

"Oh, for... No. I'm just saying, it's okay to, you know, sleep in on a Thursday if you want… take time to recover, relax"

"Sir, I don't think I could get more relaxed if I tried" she said with a grin.

Looking at her youthful face, her wide grin and bright eyes, Jack found it very easy to believe her. He was relieved to see there was no lasting damage to her demeanour, and that she was still the same old Sam, bouncing back after another near miss.

"I'd believe that" he said with a grin. They started towards town. "Oh, and Carter… I was thinking…"

She hummed, as though saying uh-oh with her mouth closed. He ignored her.

"Since we'll probably be here a little longer, lets drop the rank thing, okay?"

"Sir?"

"I have a name. A name I know you know. If I'm allowed to use yours, then please, for the love of God, use mine"

"But you just used 'Carter'" she said, the barest hint of a grin on her face.

"Fine… _Sam…_ Please use my name"

"Okay, _Jack_, just so long as you drop the Carter"

"I just did"

"But not before"

"When before?"

"When you said Carter before"

"I didn't say Carter before, I said Sam"

"No, before that, you said 'Carter I was thinking'"

"No, but that doesn't count"

"How can that not count?"

"Because it was before I suggested we use first names"

Sam giggled.

"And again I ask, what is so God damn funny?"

"You" she said through another giggle, walking ahead of him to meet one of the children from the village that was running towards her. Jack gave another shit-eating grin and a bob of his head before catching up to her. There were days when the line was very hard to ignore. And there were days when he couldn't care less about the line.


	12. Grown Up Christmas List

I told you I was spoiling you… Remember how I pardoned my future self for fluffiness? (refer to chap 2 for confirmation) Well… this chapter is what I was pardoning. Now, I know that the moment they kiss it can ruin it, but I'll try to handle it as realistic as possible (which is rich coming from someone who's never had a serious relationship). I guess I've exhausted all the other plot bunnies, and I just think it's time to move forward. Also, the song lyrics are just something to keep in mind while reading. As always, please leave some feedback! =D

_Day 100…_

_If I held you while you were sleeping like you would never ever leave, would you stay with me into the evening, until the sun sets on you and me?_

Jack came home after a long day in the fields, the sun starting to set. If they were back on Earth, he'd have said it was about 5 o'clock, but they hadn't been on Earth in three months. Three months tomorrow, if he was reading the calendar right.

He walked into the house, dropping his hat on the small table by the door. He knew immediately something wasn't right. Sam should have been home, and there was no note left explaining her whereabouts like every other time she went visiting in the afternoon.

Suddenly he heard a sob from the bedroom, and went to the door. He found Sam sitting on the bed with her head hung low, the calendar ripped off the wall and sitting loosely in her hands, damp from tears. She looked like she'd been there for ages.

"Sam?" he asked from the door.

She looked up, her tear-filled gaze breaking his heart, her eyes all red and puffy. His brow furrowed further.

"It's Christmas"

And in that moment Jack realized she had a lot more to lose by staying here. Right now, at this very moment, she should be in San Diego at her brother's house, a million light-years away. There would be roast, and her father was going to be there on loan from the Tok'ra, and Jack had heard her talking to Dr. Frasier about it being the first time her family was having Christmas together in almost twenty years. They would be laughing, talking, reconnecting. She would be playing with her niece and nephew, rather than the children of the town.

She wouldn't be here.

Suddenly she got up and threw the calendar on the bed behind her, almost running past him and out the front door. He followed her, knowing exactly where she was going. They would both sometimes go back to the crater to think, often when they were suddenly and bluntly reminded of just how far from home they were. He gave her space, allowing her to cover more ground than him, putting some distance between them. He knew there was nothing worse than a crown when you wanted to be left alone.

When he reached her destination, he stopped just on the inside of the rise, unsure what to do.

Jack had never fancied himself a coward.

But standing there in that crater, watching her dig desperately, all he wanted to do was run. Run from this place, from the mess they'd gotten into, from his fear of never going home. But most of all, run from her. Because he knew if she turned around and he saw her tears, all he'd want to do is hug her until they dried.

And he knew she might just let him.

Jack watched helplessly as the sobs wracked her body. Her frantic digging became weaker and weaker, and she finally gave up, her tears taking over as she finally broke down for the first time since they got stranded. She remembered, fleetingly, feeling this lost and alone when forced to abandon Cassie. She wanted desperately to stop, to pull herself together and save some dignity. She placed the back of her wrist against her eye, both attempting to wipe the tears while also hiding her face, even though her back was to Jack.

Unable to watch any longer, Jack walked down the embankment and over to her. He crouched next to her and cupped a hand on each of her shoulders, one of his arms snaking across her back to do so. He gave them a light squeeze.

"Sam" he whispered.

She shook her head, unable to stop her crying.

"Sam, look at me"

She shook her head again in answer to his request.

"Sam, look at me… please"

And when she finally did, he wished she hadn't. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks soaked with fallen tears. She looked so hopeless, which broke his heart. She was sitting back against her heals and hung her head. She rarely showed her weaknesses, and Jack had never seen her like this. _Lost_ was the only word that came to his mind.

Unable to resist any longer, Jack pulled her tightly to him, almost crushing her in his embrace. One hand went around her back while another cradled her head, and the gesture was so genuine and so loving that another round of sobs came over her, and Jack was more than willing to hold her as she finally cried for all that she had lost.

He didn't know how long they sat there, his gentle rocking the only movement, but by the time she was ready to leave, the sun had set, and there was only a fraction of light left to guide them back to their house. The whole way Jack held her under his arm, unwilling or unable to let her go as they silently walked through the fields. Once inside, Jack lead her to the small couch and sat her down while he lit the fireplace. She didn't move, didn't speak.

Once the fire was lit he got back up and sat next to her on the couch, pulling her to his side. Regulations and restraint be damned. She needed to know she would always have someone, and he was the only person to offer that now. He was mildly surprised when she placed a hand over his stomach, leaning into the embrace as much as possible, the both of them watching the flames dance and flicker. After an eternity of silence, as Sam once again came back into herself, Jack felt it was safe to talk- that she wouldn't take what he had to say that wrong way. What would she say when she realized he _knew_ it was Christmas when he looked at the calendar the night before?

"Sam?"

She hummed her response, not really wanting to talk much.

"I know how you're feeling… I know that this is the last place you wanna be. And... I know it's not much, but…"

He reached into his pocket and fished out a small cloth package. He'd picked it up hours ago on his way home from the working day.

"Merry Christmas" he said quietly, handing her the present.

She sat up, untangling herself from him and taking the package wordlessly. It was small, fitting in the palm of her hand. Undoing the ties at the top, the cloth fell apart to reveal something metallic. Looping it gracefully around her fingers, she held up a silver bracelet. Though it looked simple enough, on closer inspection she could see it was made up of an intricate pattern of tiny rings that looped through each other and held each other in place, forming a chain. It would have taken ages to make. Running her fingers over the bracelet, Sam had no more tears to cry, but if she had, they would be tears of joy. A lot of time and effort had gone into making this gift for her, and she suddenly felt a little selfish that she hadn't made anything for him. He took it out of her hand and wrapped it around her wrist. The clasp was simple, a little hook, and she was very aware of his fingertips brushing the inside of her wrist as he fastened it.

"It's not much, but…"

"It's beautiful", she whispered. She looked up at him. "I love it, Jack. It's really beautiful"

"I'm glad you like it"

"This is what you were doing when you were bored?"

He nodded. "Karl helped me with the molding" he said, trying to deflect some of the credit. It really didn't work.

"But… I didn't get… or _make _you anything"

Jack sighed. "Look… this is gonna sound… cheesy as hell. But I mean it. Just having you here- that's enough. I don't expect you to make me something, and I don't want you to feel like you should. Truthfully I was bored, and started messing around at the blacksmiths, and I thought it might be a nice project"

Sam smiled at his attempt to downplay the gift. It wasn't working as far as she was concerned.

"You being here- having someone who… _gets it_. That's all I need for Christmas. And… maybe next year we'll have an extra big tree to make up for it"

Sam nodded, emotions playing across her face. Jack watched as she seemed to contemplate something before she suddenly leaned in kissed his cheek, ducking her head in embarrassment when she pulled away and tucking into his side to hide her face.

Yeah, it was sudden. Yeah, it was inappropriate. Hell yeah, it blew their imaginary line to smithereens. But really, who cares? It felt right, and as much as Jack would love to take things further, he didn't want to take advantage of her emotional state right now. She needed a friend- a shoulder to lean on. She didn't need to start thinking about the ramifications of starting something with her commanding officer. So instead he placed his arm around her shoulders and went back to watching the fire.

He'd wait. If her reaction to his gift was anything, it was testament to their connection and to the bond they shared as teammates and friends. Not to mention it made his acutely aware of the feelings they shared. If their living arrangements were anything, it was evidence of their ability to adapt to each other's presence. So far they'd had no major fights, and while part of him knew that perhaps the reason for that was because Sam didn't want to piss him off as his subordinate, he thought he knew her well enough to gage her mood. Other than muttering about his annoying habit of not making the bed properly, neither of them had been pissed off at the other for more than a day or two.

He didn't count the whole ankle-spraining incident- that was a one off thing, and she had forgiven him for that anyway.

Jack turned to the window, seeing the sun had well and truly set and the stars were out in full force. He turned back to the fire, and then risked a peak at the top of Sam's head, seeing her lashed droop with fatigue as she too watched the fire. A moment later he felt her chest vibrate against his as she hummed softly to herself. A few notes later he joined in, and by the end of the first verse they were both quietly sing "White Christmas". After going through of their favourites, as well as the common, they fell silent, and Jack could feel Sam smile.

Yes. Next year there would be a very large tree, and lots of people. But if he was being honest, this was the best Christmas he'd had since Charlie died. A short time later he could hear Sam's breath had evened out and her hand had once again found it's way over his stomach, and the bracelet caught the light of the fire. Resting his head back against the couch, Jack felt himself drift off to sleep.

_The Next Morning…_

Jack couldn't help it. They were walking into town side by side when, without warning he looped his arm through hers and started skipping, giving Sam no choice but to join in. Their laughter filled the air, mingling with the strains of The Wassail Song, as the rest of the town looked on with a mix of confusion and amusement.

Earthlings.

_sjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsj _

_Okay, so that was not where I was going to take it… but I think I changed the dynamic just enough to play with it for another chapter. What do you guys think? Play, or just get on with it? =D_

_BTW- The song at the start is called "Before you move your lips"… I don't remember who it's by._


	13. Interesting Situations

_Well, after much deliberation and some helpful advice from my wonderful, amazing reviewers, I have decided that I shall let them eat cake for a chapter… maybe two. If anyone has read/seen Atonement, you shall have one more clue as to what road I will take. Actually, one scene shall be lovingly ripped from the aforementioned text._

_I know, that wasn't very helpful. But I can't give the whole thing away =P Please note the story is now including a few more adult ideas, so I might up the rating just slightly, just for the future._

_ALIMOO1971 was also was kind enough to remind me of a line in Citizen Joe about the colour peridot, hence it's inclusion. Thanks for that. _

_As always, all mistakes are my own, this is un-beta's and to my loyal reviewers, one thousand thank you's!_

_Sjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsj_

Jack was getting a little bit frustrated. Sexually frustrated. Yes, he was being the gentleman, letting her decided when they would finally address their feelings. Yes, it was the easy way out, putting all the responsibility on her. Yes, he often felt the attraction was so strong her had to leave the room for fear of going all 'Broca-virus' on her. But that didn't mean he could ignore the overwhelming want to show her _exactly _how he felt about her.

A need that became unbelievably obvious on the 29th of December.

After their impromptu Christmas celebrations, Sam and Jack had decided to take a little honorary break from work to hang out with the children and each other. The village people hadn't minded- they had heard stories of the significance of Christmas on earth. Plus the children's teacher felt it would be good for the children to learn from some different people for a couple of days.

It was during one of these hangout sessions with the children that Jack finally came to realise he needed to speed up the process or risk making an absolute idiot of himself. He really couldn't stand it any more. Just to add to the cliché of the whole situation, there was water involved the day he made this decision. The creek, to be exact. Sam and Jack had volunteered to run some swimming lessons for the youngest children, lest they fall in the creek when no adults were around. The older ones had already taught themselves, though Jack suspected it was because of more dangerous and daring reasons than 'We just tried it and it worked, Mother'.

The idea was greatly welcomed by the village, and Sam seemed more enthusiastic about this project than she had in weeks, which was a nice change.

But Jack had forgotten one itsy-bitsy, but ever-so-crucial, little tiny detail…

Sam was going to be in the creek.

Wet.

In nothing but a simple slip for bathing.

Oh, this was _so_ not good for his self control.

But even the mental image could not prepare him for the actual sight. There, up to her armpits in the creek, holding the hands of a little boy was his Sa-cond in command.

Really, really not good.

Or incredibly good… he couldn't' decide.

Reigning himself in, Jack lowered himself into the water up to his waist and started working with some of the younger children closer to the edge, coaxing them into the water by holding their hands, and trying desperately to ignore the way Sam spoke with such tenderness and enthusiasm to the child she was with.

Nope, he decided. Not good.

By lunchtime he had managed to shift his focus totally to the children as they both pulled the children gently through the water.

"So, Jack…"

He inclined his head towards her to let her knew he was listening, though he didn't take his eyes off the child in front of him.

"Other than Christmas colours… what others do you like?" she asked.

"Why'd you ask?"

"Just curious. I gave you a couple of my favourites, so I was wondering if you had any more"

"Now you mention it…"

"Hmmm?"

"Peridot"

"Peridot?"

"Yeah. I have this thing for peridot. It's just a really nice colour for a stone. Plus, my mother had this ring that she loved, and that was a peridot. I dunno, it's just a cool colour"

She smiled.

"Actually, now you mention it… I'd have to say I think I like that more than maroon. I mean, yeah, Christmas colours are great, and I love Christmas... but peridot is just…"

"Cool" she finished for him.

"Exactly"

They shared a smile.

"Mr Jack?" asked a small boy from the bank of the creek.

"Yo?"

"Can we please go get some food?"

Quickly looking at Sam for confirmation, Jack turned back to the boy.

"Absolutely. Everyone getting hungry?" he asked the kids.

There was an enthusiastic chorus of yes's.

"Okay, well, out you hop… better get you back for lunch before they send out the search party"

The children scrambled out of the creek and ran in a herd back to the village, leaving the two adults to get themselves organised. Jack got out first, being closer to the bank, and stood there, scrubbing his hair comically, keeping his earlier thoughts at bay. Until Sam got out of the water.

And he realised again what she was wearing… or wasn't wearing.

The light material they all wore as a first layer or while bathing was much more transparent when wet, and the moment Sam stood up and met his eyes, he knew she was painfully aware of the fact. She stared at his eyes, watching as they gave a miniscule flick down before meeting hers again. She was too shocked to move for a moment, and just stood there.

Finally, after an eternity, Jack broke eye contact, looked down, and cleared his throat. Sam felt her blush rise up the moment the connection was broken.

Oh dear God.

"So, Carter… I'll head into town, if you wanna change at the house first"

"Thank you" she said, her voice huskier than she intended.

It would seem Jack was not the only one affected by the little… encounter.

They both kept their eyes down as Jack turned and headed towards the town, leaving Sam to head towards the house, mortified that he could see… pretty much everything… while a small part of her was disturbingly delighted. All the way back to the house she was berating herself for being so damn foolish, for choosing that damn outfit in the first place… for falling even more for her superior since they had been on Edora. She couldn't do this. She couldn't put them in this position. But she couldn't deny that his Christmas gift to her had thrilled her, and her kiss on his cheek, as platonic as it seemed, caused her heart to flutter.

They were treading a very, _very _fine line… and she was _this_ close to just throwing caution to the wind and saying 'screw the line' as she leapt over it with both feet. She didn't know how she was going to face him in the village. As well as being quite aware of his thoughts, she knew he could see hers. And that terrified her.

How much could he see?

Was he truly that… enchanted by her… or was it just lust- a physical attraction that had arisen between two people who had spent so much time together?

Despite her attempt to second guess his feelings, she knew they were more serious than sexual lust. She knew him better than that, and had seen the way he looked at her. She wasn't sure if it was love- or even if hers was love… But every time he looked at her, her cheeks got warm and her heart gave a little leap. Every time he touched her, she could feel nothing else so strongly. Every time he did something for her, or helped her, or was simply there for her… she didn't know if it was love, but must be damn close. And the way he held her gaze, if only just to look at her a little longer, or took her hand in his just to feel her heartbeat for a while… she got the feeling it was the same for him.

Which left them where, exactly?


	14. The Path They Chose

Okay… that whole apology for being a totally fluffy sap thing I said earlier… it now _really _comes into play. Really. Because I'm getting to the point where I seriously can't keep the fluff-bunnies at bay, and I think it's time to move on…

Again, I hope it's fairly in character… or at least in character as this situation allows…

__

Jack spent the rest of the day avoiding Sam. He'd be the first to admit it- he was totally and completely avoiding her, lest he jump her bones. At this point, it was a distinct possibility, especially since he now had a fairly good idea what he'd be jumping. Sure, he felt a little guilty running off from lunch before she got there and hiding further down stream… but it was the only way of stopping himself from putting them in any compromising situations.

Ordinarily, had they not spent every waking moment with each other the last three months, he would have dismissed the encounter. It would have been hard, but he would have done it willingly and, for the most part, successful. However, given just how much time they had been spending together and how easy they had become around each other, coupled with the knowledge that they were at least another eight months from going home… needless to say it was much harder to just ignore their little encounter.

Or pretend that neither of them was particularly affected by it.

Jack wasn't stupid. Though he had been very aware of himself and had been intent on keeping himself under control, he couldn't deny it thrilled him a little to see the spark in her eye too. It wasn't just that she was shocked and embarrassed about being caught- if he wasn't mistaken, there seemed to be the barest hint of pleasure in her gaze. There was a part of her, a very small part, that was secretly delighted she had been caught. It was that same part that fuelled her need for speed, caused her to make sometimes inappropriate jokes with the team and allowed her to drop his rank all those weeks ago. It was her fun side, and it was become more and more dominant the longer they stayed on the planet.

He was, if possible, in even _more_ trouble.

He couldn't keep it up- the pretence that there wasn't some serious unresolved sexual chemistry between them. Tension he could handle… but full-blown chemistry would be the death of him. And Jack knew Sam felt the same. She'd never stepped out of line, but he had seen her stop herself on many occasions from doing just that. They were both only human, after all. Special and talented humans, maybe… but human none the less. And as far as he knew, neither of them had gone… there… with anyone for ages, and especially not since they'd been on Edora. Sure, some of the townspeople had _tried_. But neither him nor Sam was interested… unless it concerned their fellow earthling.

Shit.

He was in some _serious_ trouble.

Once the sun had started to set he decided to make his way back to the house, hoping Sam would have stayed late at dinner, or maybe gone to bed early.

No such luck.

He walked in the door, and there on the couch in front of a small fire was Sam, her arm resting over the arm of the couch while her legs stretched out over its length. She was reading a small paper-back book that she'd had in her pack. She'd probably already finished it a million times before, and Jack knew she'd finished it at least three times since they had been on Edora, but they had nothing else to do. Jack couldn't help but think that the sight in front of him was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. Oh God, he was a goner. The position wasn't even that sexual, and his mind immediately got lost in the gutter. Not good.

She looked up when she heard the squeak of the door and gave him a quick and hesitant smile before quickly turning back to her book.

'I ran off for our own good, Sam. Trust me, it had nothing to do with you; it was my overactive and highly frustrated libido, not you. Never you'

He wanted to say that, but he didn't. Instead he thought he'd stick to something a little more… neutral.

"Watcha reading?"

Nice. Real nice, Jack. Way to go, Captain Obvious.

"1984" she replied without inflection.

"That was a good year"

As expected the joke fell flat. Correction: it had its nails pulled off with pliers, was slowly singed to death, revived and then killed again using a series of small but powerful electric shocks. And then it fell flat.

Jack shuffled on his feet near the door while Sam pretended to read her book. She couldn't even apologise to try and break the silence. Not that she had anything to apologise for, but still… it's what she would have done if she had the opportunity. But she couldn't. The white slip was what they wore when bathing, and in the privacy of their own home, it seemed to provide enough modesty that, should he accidentally walk into the bathroom, she wouldn't be sitting there butt naked. But in the light of day, when the material clung to the skin, it was a completely different story, and Sam certainly didn't count on Jack turning around at the exact second she stood up out of the water.

In an attempt to keep things normal, Jack went to sit on the opposite end of the couch just as he would have had they not had their moment. Sam shifted her feet to allow him to sit. After a while, once Sam had read the same sentence fifteen times and Jack had counted about one hundred and twenty three sheep in his head, they finally dropped to pretence.

"Look, Sam… about this afternoon…"

"It's okay. I figured you must've had something you needed to sort out…"

"You could say that" he muttered.

She finally dropped the last walls and turned to him completely. Neither of them was sure if she was supposed to hear that, but she did.

"And?" she asked. She tried, she really did… but there was no way he was fooled by the seemingly innocent question. Not a hope in hell.

"And…" he sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "And I dunno"

"Yeah" she sighed softly, agreeing completely. Apparently she'd done some of her own thinking.

He met her eyes, and could tell that they were totally and completely on the same wavelength.

Jack watched as she dropped her gaze a little and lightly chewed the inside of her bottom lip. There was barely a body width between them, and Jack decided it was time he made a decision. Limbo was killing him, and if things really went pear-shaped, he'd be glad to run far far away for a couple of months if she needed him to. It was worth the risk. They could deal with ramifications later, but for now they were stuck together with mutual feelings that they could no longer ignore. Leaning across the distance suddenly, not giving her time to react or pull away, Jack lightly touched her lips with his own, his hand sitting gently on the side of her face. After a moment he pulled back, and for a split second he watched as her face stayed unchanged, her eyes closed and her muscles completely relaxed. She looked blissful. Then she opened her eyes and met his, and they were clear and very blue… not to mention more than a little shocked.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Now you know where I stand," he whispered softly, his hand still cupping her cheek. He wouldn't push it further.

After a beat he went to get up, noticing she hadn't moved a muscle. Perhaps he should start to organise that exit strategy now. Her hand flew out and stopped him by taking his arm and making him sit back into the cushions. He threw a questioning look at Sam. He watched as a fleeting look of indecision crossed her face before she mimicked his previous action, leaning across the distance and kissing him with a little more conviction than he had shown. She let the kiss linger a second longer than his, her hand resting against his jaw-line. Their eyes slipped closed.

She pulled back with a small smile, her eyes shining with happiness and something he didn't want to name just yet. Finally they had chosen a road to travel.

"Now you know where _I _stand," she replied lowly.

With a smile Jack pulled her to him, tucking her under his arm as he had done so many times before. Sam wrapped her arms around him and they went back to watching the fire, their minds focussed on all but the flames. Suddenly his sexual appetite had been replaced by a warm feeling of contentment. They still had some things to consider, namely what they would do when they got home. Most likely Jack would go to General Hammond and ask for special dispensation. He was quietly confident the guy would grant it- the General wasn't an idiot. He knew the feelings had been present, and there was nothing saying that just because the relationship stopped they wouldn't make compromising decisions because of their feelings. They'd done it before and they'd do it again, and no amount of restriction would change that.

But he was still worried that, in the light of day, Sam would reconsider. A relationship with a team-member, even in a place as different and kooky as the SGC, could still be seen as a ladder-climbing effort on her part. She'd worked hard to earn her place, and Jack didn't want to ruin that for her.

"I was thinking…" started Sam, sounding serious but still content.

"Hmmm?"

"If he doesn't grant us special dispensation, I'll ask General Hammond to transfer me to the labs, and maybe even keep me on SG-1 in a scientific research position based out of there"

Jack really did get spooked when they did that 'mental connection' thing.

"_I _was just think that… well, not the transfer bit, I don't want you to have to transfer… but the permission thing…"

"Really?" she asked with a grin. He was really thinking the same thing? Spooky.

"Yeah. He's a reasonable guy… and he's certainly not blind"

Sam nodded into his chest. She knew exactly what he was referring to.

"I'd offer to retire…"

Sam started to move slightly.

"…but I know neither you nor them would let me… again… so I won't even bother mentioning it"

Sam settled back into his side. At least he knew her well enough to not be an idiot. Despite his attempts to downplay his importance, Jack played just as big a roll as any of them. She wouldn't let him think otherwise.

"And then?" she asked.

Uh-oh. This was it- the million-dollar question. Once he had permission to show her how he felt, where did that leave them? Was this just a fling- a way to relieve the tension while having some fun in the meantime? Was this just sex? Or was this a commitment? And if it was, how big a commitment? Were they talking 'lets take it slow', or was this like 'I might ask you to marry me in the future'? What if they discovered that once they were in a relationship they actually didn't like each other that much? Or a lover's spat caused problems within SG-1, or they found they bought work-related disagreements home? And what would Daniel and Teal'c think?

These were all things they had to consider. It was one thing to screw the regs… but to do so without considering the long and short-term ramifications was just plain stupid. And neither were that.

Jack sighed. This was it. Confession time.

"I'm in for as long as you are," he whispered sincerely to the top of her head. He felt her arms tighten around his stomach, and saw an errant tear trickle down her cheek. His free hand wiped it away, and travelled down her face to her chin, where a single finger coaxed her to meet his eyes. "I mean it", he added.

She nodded. "I know you do"

She took a shuddering breath and closer her eyes, resting her head back on his chest. She hadn't returned his sentiment, but he was waiting patiently. He was good at waiting on the edge...

Sam raised her head and looked at him, swallowing nervously before answering.

"I am too. In this… as long as you are"

He grinned and held her tightly, cradling her head as he kissed the top of it. Truthfully, she was terrified. She wanted this relationship, no doubt… but what the hell was she going to say to those who asked- Her _father_? What would he say? And her brother? They'd never met the man before. And what about Janet? She knew of their feelings - Sam could remember her giving a look when the conversation about a certain Colonel came up. The last time Sam had gotten involved with a fellow officer had not ended well. And they hadn't even been in the same chain of command. As much as she wanted this, she was still terrified.

But she trusted Jack, and she knew that he would keep to his word. He was in every way the opposite of Jonas- his awful experiences had, somehow, softened him rather than turned him crazy. He had learnt to love the simple things, and enjoy life; despite the cards life had dealt him.

If he promised that he was in this for the long haul, she believed him.

__

_Okay, I need feedback now more than ever! =P What'd you think?_


	15. The Next Morning

_Sorry for the long wait. This chapter will be the death of me… I wrote it and rewrote it a million times, trying to find the balance between 'in-character' and 'romance'. I kind of used any reference to alternate S/J relationships to try and make it as close as possible, but it's very hard to put them in a relationship when we've not seen _our_ Sam and Jack in one. Anyway… hope you all enjoy… _

_I had to edit it a little- some spelling mistakes and turns of phrase were giving me the heeby jeebies… Please, please, please let me know what you think… I'll update with the next chapter probably today…_

Despite the promise of new things between them, Jack decided to sleep on the couch that night given it was his turn. It was the strangest thing, but neither of them was quite sure where to go from there. Yes, they had kissed- twice- but it would take them some time to adjust to the new relationship status and start looking at each other as their partner, and not their fellow officer. No matter how much Jack cared for Sam- a lot more than he was supposed to- he knew their military ranks would not be an easy thing to dismiss. They'd always been defined- and in many ways _confined_- by their titles and their chain of command. Even now, having dropped all military pretence since being on Edora, he had to make an effort to ensure requests didn't come out sounding like orders. And he knew Sam often caught herself before she blindly followed these requests, just to make sure they were something she wanted to do, rather than _had_ to do. It was a delicate balancing act, and they both figured they needed an adjustment period, though they didn't say it in so many words.

Sam had spent so long proving herself to him as a soldier and 'one of the guys' that he would now have to look beyond that and see the woman. And Sam had for so long looked up to her commanding officer with respect and admiration that she'd now have to let go of any hero worship and see the man. Both these elements of their relationship would always be there to some degree, and maybe they defined their relationship in some way, but Jack certainly didn't want that to be the _basis_ of their relationship. He found it very easy to notice the woman in Sam, and was embarrassed to admit that when he'd kissed her doppelganger all those months ago, he'd imaged fleetingly what it would be like to do that every day- to wake up and know that moments like those would be your entire future.

He liked the thought of that, and it was not the first time the multi-verse had hinted that they should be together.

But that didn't mean he wasn't scared. Let's face it, he hadn't really been great on the dating scene these last few years, and his marriage had… not ended on a high note. Jack knew he could be a cold and distant ass when he wanted to be, and he knew he tended to internalise his true emotions while putting up the wall of jokes and sarcasm. He'd always been like that, and a life of secrets and undercover missions had only fuelled it. The only time he ever felt truly _comfortable_ being honest was with children. Jack also knew that Sam was reluctant to take the first step given her track record with men and her troubled relationships with her family, plus the fact that she too seemed to internalise a lot. She had put up walls of 'toughness' for years, which was to be expected when a beautiful woman moved through the ranks of a man's world.

Neither of them was good at doing the whole 'emotion' thing unless it was a stolen moment during their trials and tribulations, but Jack knew that if this was going to work they both needed to learn to be open with each other. He didn't want to risk hurting Sam in any capacity, and didn't want to be hurt himself because they couldn't talk to each other.

Jack woke the next morning and just knew that he would have to step up and make the first move towards a relationship. Sam was a little reluctant, and would always- if a little unconsciously- follow his lead, which was great in the field. Not so much when starting a forbidden romance.

Well, he'd just have to make sure he led them in the right direction.

He was already awake and sitting at the kitchen table when she came out of the bedroom. He looked up at her with a smile- one he hoped was reassuring- and wordlessly handed her a cup of herbal tea to match his own.

She took it with a shy grin and went to sit on the chair next to his. Before she could though, he watched a thought flicker across her face as she leant down and captured his lips with her own. It was sweet and light, but he couldn't help but smile into it all the same as he felt her hand rest on his jaw-line. When she pulled back Sam ducked her head and sat down on the chair next to him. As she took a sip of her tea he took her other hand and threaded his fingers through hers, turning her hand over and caressing her wrist as he played with the bracelet he had made.

"Morning" he said with a grin.

"Good morning" she said back with a grin of her own. She looked down then met his eyes with a timid smile.

"Sleep well?"

She gave a half-committed shrug and a sound that suggested she had a line, but wasn't sure if she should use it. Was it too early for innuendo? He didn't think so.

"Well, I certainly could have slept better" he said with a smirk.

Sam laughed despite herself and looked at him half nodding. Yep, he knew the line was something like that…

Jack grinned wider and clutched her hand in his a little tighter. His gaze sought hers out, a question in it. She met it with a confidence he had only seen in her on the battlefield, and she smiled. It was the only reassurance they needed, years of working together without words affording them the belief that they were on the same page.

Sam smiled again and ducked her head, lifting her eyes to look at him through her lashes shyly. Jack let out a huff of amusement.

"What?" she asked, looking at him.

"I always found that expression so…"

"What?"

"…endearing"

"Endearing?" she asked incredulously.

He grinned. "Yeah. Endearing. You can be _quite_ endearing when you want to be"

She scrunched her nose in mirth, by didn't deny him the sentiment.

"I'm hungry," she announced, getting up from the table. "Can I get you some of this lovely, plain, home cooked bread… with nothing to put on it?" she asked, scrunching her nose at the lack of condiments. "Or would you rather some oats with… also nothing on it?"

She turned to him from the bench with a smile, both her hands held up as though exhibiting his two options.

He grinned. "Sam, I don't need you to make my breakfast. I'll get something in a minute"

"You sure? I don't mind. While I'm up…"

He got up from the table and joined her at the bench, standing in front of her and taking her upper arms, his thumbs running up and down them a little.

"I'm sure", he said sincerely. "You don't have to cook for me. You don't have to do anything like that"

"I know" she insisted. "I just thought it might be something I could do for you…"

"Sam. We went over this. We'll just get an extra big tree next year"

She smiled at the possible implication of them getting a tree together, but let it slide with a shrug. Truthfully, she wasn't quite sure what was supposed to change and what wasn't. Jonas had always insisted she adopt the 'traditional' roles of the woman, and her mother had been a housewife with a law degree after having kids. Sam knew she wasn't like that, so she was a little confused as to what she had to do in this relationship. All the soapbox speeches she'd had with her friends over the years suddenly went out the window.

"Besides… I know how you cook" he added with a smirk.

"You know, my cooking isn't that… well, okay, yes, it isn't the greatest… but my _baking_… now that is worth waiting for. I'm a wiz with the oven… and I make a mean soufflé"

"Soufflé, hey? What about cake? You any good with cakes?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she said with a smirk. He took a step towards her, his eyes intense and serious, and she took a reflexive step back, hitting the edge of the bench. She had nowhere to go. She wasn't afraid of him, but he suddenly looked so serious, and as he placed a hand on her cheek and ran it up through her hair, she shuddered and let her eyes flutter closed. He kissed her suddenly and firmly, letting his mouth feel hers. He was pressing her to the bench, his arms either side of her hips effectively trapping her. She let her hands wander up his shoulders and to his neck, caressing the hairs there- an action that was slightly familiar to Jack but no less sweet. Taking a hand off the bench behind her he wrapped it around her waist, suddenly glad for her height, and used it to pull her closer. Her arms in turn tightened around his neck. After a while they pulled back, their lips still slightly touching, both of them breathing heavily. They looked at each other for a moment, the air suddenly buzzing with tension.

"I would actually" he said lowly, and Sam tried to hide the shudder that came as she let out her breath. She'd never heard that tone from him, and it thrilled her for reasons she couldn't quite explain.

"What?" she asked, her voice husky, forgetting what it was they were talking about.

"Like to know about your cake making abilities", he replied, his thumb unconsciously tracing patterns on her back that made her spine tingle.

She half grinned, still a little high from their heated kiss. "Well… maybe you will"

"I hope so", he said seriously, holding her eyes.

Sam used the hand around his neck to pull him in and kiss him again, no less passionately than before, while standing on tiptoes to give her the extra height. It was nice to be the shorter one in the relationship for once, and she relished the opportunity to go all girly over the fact. She loved the feel of his arms tightening around her back, keeping her close, almost lifting her off the ground. They pulled away, smiling again, the tension less palpable. They could get used to this.

"Me too" she replied after a moment. "I'd like to bake for you" she added, with not a trace of double meaning.

Jack released her, running a hand through her hair, watching as her eyes slid closed with pleasure. He needed to stop now, or things could get way out of hand.

They finished breakfast in relative silence, and took solace in the comfort they found in each other's presence. They'd always been comfortable with each other, and were no less comfortable now; particularly given the air wasn't sizzling with unaddressed emotions anymore.

"So… I was thinking…"

"Dangerous" she said under her breath.

"Do you mind?" he asked, feigning outrage.

"Not at all" she replied.

"_Anyway…_ as I was saying, before I was so _rudely_ interrupted… Tomorrow is New Years Eve"

"Oh yeah… I'd forgotten about that"

"So… you wanna ask the town if they're up for a celebration? You know, to honour the passing of a new year on earth"

Sam nodded. "They don't mind a good party"

"Yeah"

"Sounds good"

"Great. I'll talk it over with Karl this afternoon"

Sam nodded again.

"So… what'd you wanna do today?" asked Jack. "We've got at least a couple more days off for Christmas before they need us back in the village"

Sam grinned to herself. "I was thinking of going swimming", she said honestly. "It's been warm these last couple of days, and I was gonna take advantage of that, what with winter due to come around soon"

She desperately tried to ignore the way his eyes went wide as saucers, his pupils dilated a little and he shifted to better hear her words.

"Swimming could work", he said, not wanting to push his luck.

"Great. Well… I'll go get changed"

She got up from the table and disappeared into the bedroom. Jack shifted uncomfortably again. Was she _trying_ to kill him? He'd barely survived their last swimming trip, let alone another. Looking down at his light nightshirt and darker pants, he decided he'd just swim in what he was wearing. It could do with a wash anyway, and what better way than to go swimming in it? Getting up with a sigh he turned to the door to see Sam coming out of the bedroom in a light summer dress with her black military singlet underneath. Right, well, that got the message across, he supposed. Not today, then. Together they walked to the creek, hand in hand just because they could. They saw Karl across the field and waved as he waved back. Jack saw him grin at their joined hands, but neither said anything, and if Sam noticed the extra attention, she didn't let on.

When they got to the creek they sat on a rock and disposed of their shoes. Jack was feeling playful and went to push Sam in, but she grabbed his arm at the last second and he went tumbling in too. They came up laughing like two teenagers and spluttering the water in each other's faces.

The next few hours were spent playing stupid and silly games, like Marco Polo, or 'I splash you, you splash me back'. A couple of times they went to dunk each other under, but the water wasn't deep enough for it to have it's desired effect, and they didn't really want to let each other stay under for too long anyway.

Sam couldn't help but feel like a kid again, and she was so giddy with laughter at Jack's unruly hair, that she didn't expect him to plant a kiss on her mouth after he resurfaced. She responded immediately to the kiss, deepening it and wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her higher, his arms on her lower back and the water keeping her almost a head higher than him. She ran her hands through his hair as the kiss deepened. They broke away grinning like idiots, and before Sam could say anything Jack let his feet slip on the creek bed, sending them both under as he held his grip firm. He heard her squeak in surprise before she hit the water, and once they were under he let her go. They both came to the surface spluttering, Sam more so because she wasn't expecting it. Jack couldn't help but laugh at her shocked expression. She glared at him and he knew he was in for it. He only laughed more as she lunged at him and he caught her, trapping her in his grip and kissing her again.

He really liked being able to do that.

Risking a look at his watch he caught her eye again. "You hungry?"

She nodded. "Starving"

"Well, we can't have that"

Jack let her go, and was glad when she held his hand as they floated back to the bank and climbed out. They picked up their shoes and put them on quickly, walking back to town hand in hand. Karl joined them on the way, and couldn't help but comment.

"So… has the relationship between you changed, Jack?"

"What're you talking about?" he asked innocently.

Karl gave their hands a pointed look.

"Yes, Karl. It has changed a bit", said Sam sheepishly. As Jack's best friend on the planet he had become quick friends with Sam too.

"Have you only realised your feelings recently, or have you only now been able to act on them?" he asked.

"Well… it's complicated", said Sam.

"There were… feelings…" started Jack, not wanting to speak for them both.

"Being here has just allowed them to be more… obvious" finished Sam.

"I see. So, though you felt these 'feelings' for each other before you came here, your inability to go home and the existing friendship between you allowed intimate feelings to become more apparent, and the fact you are effectively stranded provides a safe environment to explore these feelings", said Karl with a slight grin.

"Something like that" said Jack. He'd be asking Karl about that later. He seemed to know a lot for a guy only just let in on the secret, and Jack had never heard him say so much at one time. Were they that transparent?

Sam only smiled and ducked her head as they got to the town, both earthlings following Karl to his house for lunch where they could discuss plans for New Years. Karl wouldn't say anything to the town unless Jack or Sam brought it up, so she had no problem discussing it with him. But the truth was she was still wrapping her head around the whole deal, and needed a little more time to adjust to the relationship herself. Doubt still plagued her mind, no matter how much she cared for Jack, and the more she thought about the reactions of her family and friends, the more she feared for Jack's safety and her sanity. She wanted this relationship as much as she knew he did, but they still had a job to do when they got back to earth, and they both knew that job would be the priority if they had to choose. It would be hard, but they'd accept the rules of the game for the sake of their cause. They were military officers first and foremost, a trait that worked both with them and against them.

She just didn't want to have to choose between Jack and the SGC. It would break her heart.


	16. New Beginnings and a Happy New Year

_Thanks for those who review- always appreciated! =D This chapter needs a higher rating… what does that tell you? =P I might split it into two if it gets too long… or just let you have a long one… The mental image of the looped arms is one of Rick and Amanda much more than 'Sam and Jack', but it was too cute to resist. And there is another familiar line- let's see if you can pick it =D_

The day for New Years celebrations had arrived, and it promised to be a good one. In honour of their friends the town was putting on a banquette as per requested and the people didn't need much convincing. Both Sam and Jack were looking forward to the distraction. Sam had spent the night before on the couch, being her turn and both of them still a little unsure as to how to broach the subject of sleeping arrangements. There was something so final about changing their routine. Until now, their actions could be reversed- shoved far away in the back of their minds if needed. If they started fiddling with the order of things, it would make this thing between them permanent, and that scared them. Give them an army of Jaffa over this, they thought. What neither of them realized was that the hesitation was felt on both sides. They were both scared to take it too far- scared to upset the other by moving things too quickly. Not to mention there was an unmistakable need to do it _right_, given how long they had resisted. They didn't want to stuff this up. It was like they were both waiting for the bottom to fall out, because isn't that what always happened?

Karl had been very good in not letting the town know of the relationship, and for that they were both thankful. No matter how close they were to these people, while they were on Edora they were representatives of Earth and the US Air Force. That was not something they had forgotten since being there.

After a day of helping the town set up the hall for dinner, complete with flower decorations and the tables arranged to allow for dancing, Jack and Sam finally had five minutes with just themselves as they prepared for that night back at their house.

"Looking forward to tonight?" asked Sam through the bedroom door.

"You bet", replied Jack from the kitchen table. Women always took longer than him to get ready, no matter what planet they were on. "You?"

"Yeah" she replied emphatically, opening the door. It wasn't like they had 'formal wear' on this planet, but she had taken a little extra care, and Jack noticed. He took a moment to rake his eyes over her simple ensemble and took pleasure in the blush that rose on her cheeks.

"Nice"

"It's no different to any other day" she accused.

"Sure it is. Tonight's special"

Sam rolled her eyes, glad that she could now do that without earning a reprimand.

Jack held out his arm dramatically, hiding a grin, and she looped hers through it grinning widely, ducking her head as though stifling a giggle. That action alone made him smile as they stepped through the door and headed to the banquette. Their arrival was not taken lightly, and everyone greeted them in a chorus as they entered the hall. Sam smiled bashfully and Jack just nodded politely. Neither of them particularly loved the attention, but the party was for them, so they took it as it came.

Before long the town had eaten a hearty meal of meats and vegetables and were moving on to celebratory drinks, some more than others. Never one to deny themselves a stiff drink, both Sam and Jack took a large cup each of the liquor, and while everyone was toasting they met each other's eyes. Lifting his cup to her with a nod of his head, Jack hoped she could read his expression. Sam in turn lifted her cup to him with a smile, holding his eyes with hers. They drank the toast, both knowing that no matter what was toasted by the townspeople, they had toasted to themselves- to a new year and a new romance.

After a couple more rounds everyone was happy and loose enough for the real dancing to begin. There had been a few games where the young men spun around and the person they were facing when they stopped would be their love. Jack and Sam had watched on with amusement, knowing the young men were cheating most of the time. Jack held out his hand to Sam over the table, and with a nod she accepted the offer. They moved to the dance-floor hand-in-hand and Jack pulled her close, a hand at her lower back and the other clasping her hand close to his chest. Sam smiled at the natural rhythm they found. Neither of them knew the other danced. She ducked her head into the crook of his neck, sighing in contentment, and Jack looked down to the top of her head with a knowing smile. When she looked up and met his glance she smiled.

"I'm gonna go get a drink… you want one?"

She nodded. As he made his way over to the liquor barrel Sam worked her way off the dance-floor and to a quiet corner where Jack could meet her. After a moment she noticed a figure making his way over, and when she saw whom it was she cringed. Malak. The guy who thought it might be nice to show her how 'real men' handled 'their women'. Many months ago, when it had become obvious they wouldn't be going home, he had offered his 'services' to her, and she had refused. Emphatically. When Jack had injured his ankle on the scouting trip it had been Malak's stare that has caused her to offer to care for Jack rather than go on. She had downplayed the severity of the man's actions, knowing Jack would take it to the extreem… but clearly Malak just didn't get the hint.

Or mix well with alcohol, judging from the way he was swaying as he walked.

Sam tried to make it seem like she hadn't noticed him, but it didn't work. He sauntered right up to her and played a hand at the base of her spine, almost too low. "You want to dance with me"

The request came out sounding more like a demand than a question.

"No, thank you Malak, I don't"

"Yes you do. You danced with Jack… you can dance with me"

He stood in front of her, bringing his pelvis closer and his hands low on her hips. Sam pushed them off forcefully, but even when drunk the man was twice her size.

"No" she said, her voice strained with the effort of pushing against his body.

"Yes, you do. You want to dance with me, and I won't take no for an answer" he said maliciously, pulling her to him, wrapping his arms around her back and leaning in as though he was going to kiss her. Sam tried to push him off while pulling her head back and out of is reach. She was too close to him to get a knee up; otherwise he would find his overactive anatomy very sore.

"No, I don't. Malak, get off me- stop!"

Before she could register what had happened, she saw Malak being helped off the floor by his friend with Jack standing between him and her, her arms pushing against thin air. Jack had a look on his face that he saved only for his favourite enemies, and the way his shoulder turned to shield her told her he was unconsciously preparing himself for a fight. To protect her. They hadn't said the four-letter word yet, but she knew that actions like that showed it anyway.

"She said no, Malak" he said lowly. He turned to the unidentified friend- one of the men who had supported Malak in his pursuit of Sam. "Get him out of here, or I'll do more than just shove that sonovabitch to the ground"

The friend threw a dirty look at Jack as he helped a staggering Malak out of the hall, but nobody was fooled. He was scared of Jack. Sam could only stand there, her breathing a little heavy, the shock wearing off quickly and being closely followed by indignation. How dare he, she thought. She was better than a drunken idiot. How dare she need saving. Thank God Jack was there- she had been trapped. How dare she allow herself to be trapped!

Jack turned to her with a frown of worry. "You okay?"

"Yeah… very dramatic, thank you" she said.

Jack pulled her into a one-armed hug, rubbing her arm. "You sure? He didn't…"

"I'm fine. He didn't get very far" she replied with a reassuring grin.

Jack nodded and took a look at the door through which Malak had disappeared. Not many people had notice the exchange, but those who had were already dancing again, leaving them to sought themselves out. Karl had made his way over to give Jack an ally, and was quietly watching the two.

"Are you okay, Sam?" he asked quietly.

"Fine, Karl. Just a drunken idiot, nothing I haven't dealt with before"

Jack couldn't help but grin at the mental image of Sam taking care of herself at a bar while strutting in heels. He knew her hand-to-hand combat skills, and he knew that if he hadn't come along she would have found a way to show Malak that 'no' means 'no'. Still, it didn't mean he didn't want to find him and make sure he knew that Sam was not his to touch. He was still a man, and Sam was still 'his girl'. Yes, Sam would probably kick his ass for being so territorial, but he couldn't help it.

"You wanna take a break?" asked Jack.

"No. I'm fine. Maybe we'll forgo that drink. It's not like we haven't had any tonight"

"Good idea. You wanna dance?"

"I'd love to" she said with a grateful smile.

Jack gave a nod to Karl to show his thanks, and led Sam back to the dance-floor. They resumed their previous position and Sam sighed with contentment when she laid her head against his chest. Again, she was glad for his height. It made her feel very feminine- not a regular occurrence on the frontlines of an intergalactic war.

"My hero" she sighed mockingly. Jack laughed and was glad she didn't take Malak's actions to heart. He was an idiot who didn't deserve a second thought.

"Anytime" he said, and despite the joke in his tone, they both knew he meant it.

Suddenly they heard a beep from his wrist, and Jack held up arm to turn off his watch alarm. They hadn't been wearing their watches all the time, but they still kept time.

"What's that for?"

"So we know when it's midnight", he said.

Uh-oh. She'd forgotten about that.

Jack walked off the dance-floor and stood on a bench-seat clapping loudly to get everybody's attention. Sam went and stood next to him, watching with amusement.

"Everyone. Everyone. Oy! Shhhhh, quiet!"

After a moment the villagers went silent, all turning to Jack.

"Now, there is a tradition on Earth. When the clock strikes midnight, you have to kiss… well, whomever you want to kiss. It's like a new start… kind of. Now, We'll count down from ten, and at the end you all have to yell 'Happy New Year' and kiss… you know, that person you want to"

The town laughed at the bumbling way he gave his speech, but they got the message.

"Okay… now…. Ten… nine… eight…"

The townspeople were all yelling the countdown with him, more than happy to oblige and indulge in the Earthling tradition. Sam was watching them with a wide smile, glad to see them so enthusiastic about the celebration as she too counted down.

"three… two… one… HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!"

They all broke out in cheers and woops, the various couples in the room kissing each other, while friends gave each other chaste kisses on cheeks and parents kissed the noses and foreheads of their children. Sam felt Jack jump off the stool and land next to her, and she turned to him with a smile.

"Happy New Year, Sam" he said with a matching smile.

"Happy New Year" she whispered back. His lips met hers eagerly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They could hear a whistle from across the room and turned to see Karl looking at them with a grin, his wife under his arm laughing at their expressions. Turning back to each other, Jack shrugged and Sam smiled. No point keeping it secret now. They kissed again with a smile earning another whoop from Karl and a few others who had noticed. Breaking apart they could only laugh.

_Part two is on its way… it shall be rated higher, hence I split the chapter._


	17. A Very Happy New Year

_The chapter you've all been waiting for- my first actual sex scene. It's not as explicit as others I've read, but you get the idea._

_WARNING- THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M._

A couple of hours and a few drinks later it was time to call it a night. As the townspeople dispersed, Karl found them and wished them a very happy year to come, making both Sam and Jack smile. They walked back to the house arm in arm, leaning into each other to ward off the chill of the night. It had been a great party, and they were still a little buzzed from the alcohol and the dancing. They stumbled through their door laughing at the story Jack was telling.

"So anyway… he goes over to this woman a few hours later… he's absolutely blind, has never met her in his life- she's like a third cousin twice removed or something- and he goes. 'You know how I deal with family functions? Lots of alcohol'. Then BANG he's passed out in front of her"

Sam doubled over with laughter over the back of the couch, tears streaming down her face. Jack laughed along with her, taking his coat off and hanging it over the back of the chair.

"Oh god… poor guy. And the woman, what did she think?"

"That was her first family gathering since finding her father"

Sam burst out laughing. "You know, I had an Uncle like that. Uncle Irving- the one Urgo mentioned. Mark and I loved him as kids- he was so funny and so cynical. But God, he hated my father's family. You put him and my Aunt Gladys in the same room and it was like World War Three, I swear"

Jack chuckled. "Ah, there's one in every family"

Sam chuckled at that and nodded having taken her own jacket off and placed it over the arm of the couch. They both sobered and looked at each other- really looked. Slowly, as though time itself had stopped working properly, they came closer, until their lips gently touched and their eyes slipped closed. The kiss deepened as Jack ran his hands up and down Sam's arms and she wrapped hers around his back, her hands resting on his shoulder blades. They broke for air and looked at each other, knowing exactly where this was going. It was New Years Eve, and they weren't holding back. They kissed again, more passionately than before, and wrapped their arms around each other, slowly walking back to the door of the bedroom. Sam lightly bumped her back into the frame of the door, and they broke away. Jack looked at her, watching as her breaths came quick and shallow, her eyes wide and dark, her cheeks flushed. He furrowed his brow, silently asking her for permission, and making sure this was what she wanted. There was no going back.

Sam saw the question form in his eyes, and when he didn't immediately respond to her nod she snaked a hand to the back of his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, her tongue darting out to trace his lips. He opened his mouth to hers and pulled her into the room, taking a minute to explore her mouth with his tongue, his hands running through her hair. Sam reached between them and ran her hands over his chest, perhaps searching for buttons, he wasn't sure. She pulled at the tie at the top and reached to the bottom, coaxing it up as far as she could without breaking contact. The broke only far and long enough for him to be divested of his shirt before they were again kissing with Sam holding his neck at each side just under his ears. Jack pushed her back until her knees hit the back of the bed and she allowed herself to fall backwards and scooted up the bed, allowing him to trap her skirt in his grip as she went so that by the time she was near the bed head she could shimmy out of it the rest of the way. Jack helped and it found a new home somewhere near the door.

He quickly pulled himself up to her, sitting between her legs, his lips again finding hers as he kissed her fiercely before pulling her shirt over her head forcefully with her help. She hooked her big toes into the band of his pants and pushed them down, holding his lips to hers with her hand on the back of his head. He moaned into her mouth at the action. They were now only separated by underwear, and Jack took a moment to rake his fingers over her exposed skin, taking pleasure from the goose-bumps than formed in their wake. He felt Sam shudder under him and could feel her own fingers trace the muscles of his back and stomach, her touch so light he clenched when she touched him, teasing.

He couldn't hold himself back. He reached under her and unclipped her bra, letting her throw it across the room. He took a moment to let his eyes devour the sight, watching as her breasts rose and fell with her heavy breathing and went firm with arousal. Wasting no time he pulled at the waistband of her underwear, and she quickly scooted out of them. Her eyes were wide and dark with desire, any trepidation forgotten. Jack pulled his own underwear off and felt his muscles tighten and quiver as she raked her fingertips lightly over his hips and across his belly, inching lower. He responded with his own teasing, trailing kissed from her collarbone and down to her navel, then back up to claim her breast in his mouth. She moaned deep and low under him, her back arching in pleasure as he flicked her nipple with his tongue and mimicked the action with the other breast in his hand.

Sam let her fingers trace over his own nipples, feelingly them harden when she lightly flicked them, and continued down, tracing patterns against his thigh before lightly taking him in her hand and continuing the gentle, feather-light patterns against him. He groaned and let out a breath against her lips, the sound sending waves of desire to her belly. His hand left trails up and down her body, down the inside of her thigh and down her sides. Turns out, her ribs, just under her breasts, was a sweet spot of hers. Jack felt her let out a shuddering breath and sought out her gaze. Her eyes met his with confidence, and he silently answered her request. Placing a hand under her knee, he pulled her leg slightly higher. She pulled him back to her and kissed him fiercely as he entered her, arching her back at the intense pleasure and slight pain. It had been a while, and the feeling of him filling her would not be one she would forget easily. Jack waited a moment, letting them adjust, before he pulled back almost all the way and pushing himself in again, filling her further. She let out a cry of pleasure and arched against him.

Their pace quickened, his stokes becoming firmer and quicker, their pants and groans mingling, their breath falling heavy against each other's skin, their tongues forming a dance that their bodies copied. Sam could feel them coming close, Jack's thrusts becoming faster and the rhythm becoming a little erratic as he pulled her leg a little higher. Her other leg wrapped around his hips and ran the length of his leg in time to their thrusting. She pushed her pubic bone against his, letting out another cry of pleasure as he thrust against her clit. Suddenly she felt his hand move, and he rubbed circles on it, bringing her closer, wanting her to fly first and feel her around him. She couldn't hold on. The pleasure was too much, and he hardened his caress sending her over the edge in waves of pleasure that rippled from her core to her fingertips and kept coming for what felt like eternity. She felt herself quivering around him, the sensation prolonging her pleasure, and felt his muscles tighten and then release as he filled her, his own deep moan mingling with her panting as she came down off her high. He kept thrusting lightly, bringing them slowly down from their high, and then rolled, not breaking their contact as he collapsed on the bed next to her. She kept her leg over his hips as he held her close. He reached for the blanket and threw it over them, and slowly pulled out of her. She felt cold having lost the contact, but he held her close, her head tucked under his chin, their bodies lined up next to each other.

Sam sighed with contentment, and traced her fingers lightly over the hair on his chest as Jack rubbed his hand lazily up and down her back, both of them getting their breath back. It hadn't been the best sex either of them had experienced, but it was pretty damn close. There hadn't been the time or inclination to take things slow and savour each moment, but there would be plenty of time for that later. This was just the first time of many, an opportunity to blow off the steam that had surrounded them for years, and there would be other times to show each other just how they felt.

Sam kissed his chest lightly and felt his head pull back. She looked up and met his eyes before he kissed her hair, then her forehead, then down her nose and finally captured her lips. It was light and sweet, and possibly the best kiss she'd ever experienced. After a moment he pulled back with a smile that turned into a sly grin.

"So, since it's my turn for the couch…"

Sam couldn't help the giggle that escaped as she pulled him back for a kiss. "I think we can make an exception just for one night", she said against his lips. He grinned and kissed her again, humming his approval.

"Happy New Year, Sam", he whispered.

"A very happy New Year, Jack"

They settled down into the pillows, Jack's arm thrown over Sam's shoulder, her head resting just below his. It occurred to her that they hadn't used anything, but she couldn't bring herself to care just yet. Their breathing eventually evened out, though both were sure the other was still awake. It was the early hours of the morning, the sun only a few short hours from rising, and both knew they would be very late getting out of bed the next morning. When she was almost sure he was asleep, Sam finally whispered as quietly as she could the words she had been so afraid of.

"I know I'm not supposed to… but I think I love you"

She felt his fingers flex gently against her back and heard his breath hitch ever so slightly. Okay, so _not_ asleep. And obviously not as quiet as she thought either. She felt him pull away slightly to look down at her, his eyes heavy with sleep but aware and awake. She met his gaze, knowing she couldn't take it back, and for the first time, not wanting to. Sam swallowed nervously and watched his eyes trace over her features, committing them forever to memory, just as they were right now. He met her eyes again, and held them firm, his features visibly relaxing.

"I love you too", he said softly holding her eyes for a moment. He pulled her tight against his chest, burying his face in her hair as she tucked her face against his chest. It had been many years since he'd said those words, and he was relieved and thrilled to realize he meant them. He really did love her. They didn't need to tell each other how long it had been or how much they felt it- those had been obvious to them for years. All they needed was to know the other person felt the same- that if they were trapped or afraid or alone they wouldn't leave each other, and they would stay with them even if it meant death. It wouldn't be for country or duty. It wouldn't provide a tactical advantage or gain them intel- they would stay for the other because it would hurt more to leave than to die. Because their feet wouldn't let them walk away and watch the other surrender to the enemy. Because if there was to be one last sight, one last touch, it would be their hands joined or their eyes locked together, their fate the same and equal.

They fell asleep then, comforted by the knowledge that in the morning they would still be in that room with each other, holding each other, truly, madly, deeply in love.

_Sjsjsjsjsjsjsjsjsj_

_Wow, that was fluffy… Okay, so, please please please tell me what you think. That was the first detailed love scene I've written, so let me know how I did… Can you spot the illusion to another shippy episode at the end? =D _


	18. Sleeping In

_Thank you to those who were kind enough to review.__ I was nervous about posting my first love scene, but your kind words have made me feel better about it. Thanks! Oh, and _angelthree117 _can go buy themselves a cookie for correctly guessing the episode. I know you all probably know it, but they wrote back… congratulations!!!_

Sam slowly came to consciousness, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face. She was absently aware of a weight on her stomach and a light snore from beside her, but in the first moments of wakefulness what she noticed most was a faint ache in her thighs. She hadn't been exercising nearly as much as she used to on Earth, and as the memories of last night came flooding back she knew that had to change. It was back to a morning jog and yoga for her. Still, she couldn't help but smile in satisfaction at the faint feeling. It was proof of what happened, and it was not entirely unpleasant to have your muscles feel like they couldn't quite support you, especially when you knew who caused such a feeling.

She stretched out on her back, trying not to move too much as she felt the blood return to her limbs and extremities. Looking at his face that was turned towards her, watching his fingers flex on her stomach as he dreamed, Sam waited for the feeling of dread to come over her. She waited, and waited… but nothing came. There was no sudden need to run, no onset of guilt or remorse over using him or being used. She couldn't even bring herself to feel shame over throwing the rulebook to hell- a book she had lived by her whole life. If anything, she wanted to stay in this moment, right here and now, watching him as she slept, his face at peace for once. It was not a feeling she was used to- that feeling of contentment. No matter how much she loved her life and loved where she was at with her career, there truly was nothing that could compare to what she was feeling at that moment. Fleetingly she considered that perhaps holding your child for the first time would be the one thing to outdo it, but she didn't dwell on it.

Sam watched him stir and for a moment she slightly panicked. This was it. This was the moment when he would wake and find some excuse to go into town, and when he got home they would forget this ever happened. They would lock this in this room, never to be spoken of again, because this was not supposed to happen between two officers who served together, and they didn't have permission. It would be hard, and they'd keep their distance for a while, and she might have to cry herself to sleep a few times to get over him, but they'd manage, and eventually they'd be back on Earth where it would be a lot easier to avoid each other and they…

He opened his eyes and looked at her, instantly smiling at the sight in front of him. What she thinking again? What was it she was so afraid of? The thought had momentarily left her mind…

And then she knew. This was not like every other relationship or fling or even one-night-stand she'd had. He was not looking for a quick screw and 'thanks-see-ya-later-I-probably-won't-call'. He had promised her that he would fight for them when they got back, and she had heard from his own lips words that she knew he didn't throw around often. He loved her. That thought alone made her smile right back.

His flingers balled into a fist on her stomach as he stretched, but he didn't move it, and when he had again relaxed into the pillows he scooted closer to her, propped his head up with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist. She couldn't help but grin like an idiot when she saw his scruffy hair, knowing she helped with that. He grinned back, running his hand softly up and down her stomach. She wasn't sure why he was doing it, but she had a feeling it was to feel her- the part of her that wasn't too badly beaten or scarred. He traced the barely-there white scar left after the Broca virus popped in to say hello, and she fought back a blush as the memory of jumping him in the locker room. Oh, if only her past self could see them now.

His hand moved up and ran up her chest lightly between her breasts, and traced the rises and crevasses of her collarbone and neck. She could see the slight worry in his eyes, both of them aware that with his training he could kill her in this current position, a flick of his hand snapping her neck. He didn't want to scare her or make her worry. But she trusted him, and she unconsciously exposed her neck to him a little more, loving the feel of his fingers on her skin. He was such a contradiction- his rough skin should not be so gentle on hers, but it was.

"Good morning" he said, his voice still rough with sleep.

"Good morning" she whispered back. She was still waiting to see what he'd say about their little encounter. The booze had certainly helped them last night, but had they gone too far too fast?

"Sleep well?" he asked, and she could see the slightly proud grin hidden under the sincere question.

Sam hummed her response. "Very well"

Jack lowered his mouth to her ear, his hand again snaking around her waist.

"You're welcome", he purred.

Sam held back a shudder. Smug bastard. He raised his head again and waited until she met his eyes before he kissed her softly. Sam wrapped her hands around his back to pull him closer, holding the kiss in place. She gasped from surprise when he rolled them both so she was practically lying over his chest. She rested her hands on his chest and looked down at him, both of them grinning again. He ran his hands through her hair, noticing not for the first time that it had grown a little since they'd been there. She rested her head on her hand on his chest as he ran his hands down her arms. His brow furrowed as he ran his hand in the one spot on her upper arm a few times, feeling a slight bump under her skin that he'd never noticed before. Ah. He found it.

Jack shot her a questioning look.

"Implant" she replied simply. "I got it just after the Turgan thing. Didn't want to rely just on the SGC's shots"

"Ah…. Well… that answers my next question" he said, unfazed by the news. It certainly helped their cause a little, and he honestly wasn't all that surprised. Sam nodded her response. As much as she might like to fantasise about having children one day, now was not the time for either of them. Besides, she hadn't asked Jack what he thought, and given his past she wanted to wait a little for that conversation. Plus, it was a lot more convenient to not have to think about contraception while being millions of light-years for home.

"So… do you have the time?" he asked. Sam reached over to the nightstand and picked up his watch, flicking open the cover.

"Midday" she said with surprise, though she made no move to get out of bed or even move off his body.

Jack grinned. "Nice… See, now… _that's _how you sleep in"

Sam grinned and laid her cheek against his chest, just under his chin. "I like sleeping in, I think"

"You _think_?"

"Well, one time is not enough to make an accurate assessment. To make any definitive conclusion would require a series of experiments in order to compare results and come up with an estimated answer" she said, smiling against his chest.

"Sooo… you'd like to sleep in again some time?" he asked.

Sam immediately recognised the question hidden within the question. She looked up and met his eyes with a grin.

"I definitely want to sleep in again"

Jack grinned back. "Yeah… I like sleeping in"

"I noticed"

"So… what's your plans for today then?"

She hummed in thought. Truthfully, she hadn't had any plans. Just as she was about to admit as such, her stomach gurgled loudly. She looked down, shocked at the noise, and looked back up to see him smiling and trying not to laugh. "Uh… food?" she said sheepishly.

"Food is good. Cake?"

"I don't think we have any cake, Jack"

"Damn… Ah well… We have porridge?"

She nodded.

"And tea?"

She nodded again grinning.

"Well, than to breakfast I say" he said, pointing a finger towards the door dramatically. Sam chuckled lightly at the action as she pushed herself up. Holding the sheet up to her chest she located his shirt just near the door. Leaving the confines of the bed she scooted out of the bed naked and retrieved the garment, giving Jack a lovely view of her behind as she went before the shirt quickly covered her. She didn't turn back as she went through the door to the kitchen, walking lightly and daintily on her bare feet. That was a sight he never thought he'd see- Sam doing the typical feminine thing of walking on her tiptoes barefoot wearing her lover's shirt.

"Thief" he called out the door, and heard her chuckle in response. Lovers. They were officially lovers, in every sense of the word. Wow. Scary thought, really. It'd been quite some time since he'd been a lover. He'd been boyfriend, fiancée, husband, and even one-night-stand once in a while- he was human after all… but lover… There was a maturity and authority to it, like being married without the title, or dating without the awkward silences in between. He liked the thought of that.

Jack let out a breath, took a moment, then pushed himself out of bed, pulled on his discarded pants and followed her out the door. He slowed his every action as he approached, drinking in the sight of Sam standing at the bench making them tea, one long leg bent and eventually disappearing under her only garment- his shirt. It truly was a sight to behold, and as much as he hated clichés, this was one sight he would never get sick of.

"Stop it" she said quietly, sheepishly.

"What?"

"You're staring"

"So?" He really, truly didn't get what the problem was. If she were in his shoes she'd stare too. She threw him a look of mirth before going back to preparing their tea. Jack kissed the back of her neck as he reached over her and got two bowls from the shelf, picking up the sealed container that housed the oat-like grains that they made into porridge. Or a sludge that resembled porridge.

He held the container up in her line of vision, raising his eyebrows in question. She nodded in response while handing him his cup of tea. Jack leaned in and kissed her in thanks, and was pleased to feel her smile against his mouth. That was always a good sign. She pulled away still smiling and ducked her head before walking away. Jack grinned at her back and watched her sit at the kitchen table absently sipping her tea and looking out the window, her face more open and relaxed than he'd ever seen.

Yep, they were good. Very, very good. And he would move mountains to keep it that way.

_Sjsjsjsjsjsj_

_Okay, a shorter one… but I can't spoil you too much. Again thank you to all those who review... You make my day! =D_


	19. Girl Talk

_Okay, so this was a conversation I've had in my head since I decided to get our lovely couple together.__ There is no Laira bashing, so for those who don't like her, I'm sorry, look somewhere else for that. Hope you all enjoy… had my first shift at a gelato place today- very fun!!_

Eager to get back to doing something, and tired of feeling sluggish from inaction, Sam went with Laira later that day to help clean up the hall they had used for celebrations, while Jack rejoined the men in the fields for a day. There wasn't much to do- rearranging a few tables and cleaning up the mess on the floor- but Sam was grateful for the distraction. Every time she got used to the idea of them being a couple, her soldier side- the side which demanded discipline and order- would remind her that what they were doing was technically against the rules, and she would fight the urge to end it. She was sure she loved Jack, no question. At least, she was pretty sure she was in love- she wasn't exactly an expert in the relationship department. But she couldn't shake the feeling that sometime out of nowhere they would come across a hurdle they couldn't jump. She just couldn't for the life of her figure out what that hurdle would be.

They were happy with each other. Goofy, crazy, acting-like-teenagers happy, which was new to her.

They understood each other, be it from their immediate connection and friendship or years of working together- she wasn't sure, but it didn't really matter either way. The point was that a simple look could hold a whole conversation, and that quality was rare in any relationship.

They had a fair and kind CO who would no doubt hear them out before ruling his judgement, which was infinitely good.

They had supportive teammates who hopefully wouldn't judge them for their decision. It wasn't like they had been oblivious to it all these years either.

Her Dad… well, he'd just have to get used to the idea. He liked Jack, and once the outrage wore off, he'd live with it… she hoped. With a little help from Selmak.

Yes, there would be people back home that would disapprove, and perhaps a few who would want to use the relationship to discredit their work, but they were both good at being discreet. Sam knew that if this did work out for the best, they would be nothing but professional at work and would do their best to make sure they didn't let their personal and professional lives cross. Neither had said so, but it was only natural to expect such behaviour.

Still, it was hard not to count all your eggs before they've hatched when you had months of uncertainty ahead. There was a part of her- a small part, but it was there nonetheless- that hoped this went belly up. It was stupid and childish, but it was like getting a stomach bug the night before your big speech so you didn't have to do it. Maybe if they stuck their heads in the sand for long enough they could go back to being the slightly awkward friends they were before.

But that was just silly. She wanted this, and she knew he wanted this, and she certainly wouldn't be able to see him the same way after last night. It just wouldn't be as easy as her tenth-grade maths assignments, that's all. And since when did a Carter- _Sam Carter_ for that matter- back down from a challenge? If her Dad could adjust to being Tok'ra, and Teal'c could leave his whole life behind for a seemingly helpless cause, then surely she could fight for the right to have the man she wanted. The only man she wanted.

"Penny for your thoughts?" asked Laira quietly. The people of the planet had picked up a couple of things from the Earthlings, just as Sam and Jack had picked up things from them. Laira had been the most enthusiastic to learn from them, though Sam suspected it was for more than one reason. There had been a friendly banter between her and Jack since the start. Jack respected her, and thought her very brave to have kept her head high after losing her husband- a loss he could on some levels relate to. Though Sam wasn't the jealous type, and she certainly held nothing against Laira for trying, she couldn't help but feel a little awkward around the woman. She was about seven or eight years old than Sam, which kind of put her closer to her commanding officer's age, and she was quite attractive. They technically weren't in a competition, but it felt that way sometimes, and for all her gusto on the battlefield, Sam wasn't overly confident when it came to romance. Laira didn't seem to share that shyness, and had made it clear that she fancied him on more than one occasion. Thankfully Jack had never indicated he was interested, but still, she could only wonder.

"No, I'm fine. Just thinking"

"Jack tells me you do that quite a lot" Laira replied with an amused smile. She couldn't quite make heads or tails of this woman, who seemed to work just as well as any man in the fields or building houses, and yet struggled to master a bread oven.

"He does?" asked Sam, surprised.

"Yes. He often mentions your intelligence in the work you do. He speaks of all your team, and of your General back home, but he speaks mostly of you. I suppose it is because we know you better than we knew Daniel or Teal'c. He has a great deal of respect for you" Laira hesitated before continuing. "If you don't mind me asking… has your relationship changed since being here?" She used Sam's look of shock as an opportunity to continue uninterrupted. "I understand that on your planet there are restrictions on military people and relationships, and I know you are both outstanding military people- you would not break these rules. But… I couldn't help but notice you these last few days… particularly last night…"

Sam ducked her head with embarrassment but didn't turn away. More people saw that kiss than she remembered.

"And I was wondering if, perhaps while you have been here and no longer surrounded by your rules, your relationship has… changed"

Well, what could she say? Sam wasn't thrilled with discussing her sex life… but then she and Jack hadn't been all that subtle the night before either. It was only fair to answer honestly. "Well… See…"

And her hesitation was all the confirmation Laira needed. She gave a knowing smile and Sam smiled shyly back.

"I understand", said Laira. "Jack is a good man, and he cares very deeply for you"

Sam ducked her head again at that and shuffled her feet a little. She certainly hoped that was the case.

"No, it's true", insisted Laira. "He is not so bold as to say so, but when he speaks of you there is an affection there- one I recognise, believe me"

Sam looked up and met Laira's gaze.

"You are very lucky"

Sam nodded. "I know", she said softly.

And Sam also knew that this was Laira's white flag- her sign that she would stop whatever suggestions she had subtly been putting out there. She was a good woman, and despite her own personal desires she would not compete for Jack with Sam. It wasn't in her nature.

"So, Sam… I'm interested… Jack mentioned once a game that you play at parties on your planet…"

"Yeah? Which game?"

"Uh, what was it… oh- Truth or Dare"

Sam groaned and covered her eyes with a hand. Laira couldn't help but laugh at the gesture. Jack had seemed so enthusiastic when recalling it.

"Yes, there is a game on Earth call 'Truth or Dare'. It's usually a game lots of young people play, sometimes with alcohol involved, and it's designed to embarrass people" she said, clearly still remembering her own dabbling in the game.

"Tell me?" asked Laira as they went back to sweeping the floor.

"Well. You start with one person who turns to another person and asks them 'Truth or Dare?' Then the receiving person must pick which one they want. If they pick truth then the asking person is allowed to ask them any question they want and the receiving person must answer truthfully. If they don't then they must undergo a punishment- that's where the alcohol comes in…"

Laira nodded with a grin, understanding what she meant.

"Anyway. If they choose 'Dare', then the asking person is allowed to dare them to do anything, usually something really embarrassing- you know, kiss 'blah-blah', or jump off a rock into the lake, that sought of thing"

"And if they refuse they must undergo a forfeit like alcohol?"

"Exactly"

"It sounds like fun"

"Well… it depends on who you play it with"

Laira laughed at her tone. "You've played it?"

"Ooooh yeah. Many times. That and 20 questions"

"Twenty questions?"

"Yeah, it's like… just the Truth bit. You don't get the choice"

"Oh" Laira laughed again. "Could we play it with the village? Truth or Dare" she asked with a grin.

"Well, yeah, sure… if you want. But I'm warning you, it can turn ugly" she said with a matching grin.

"Oh, I'm sure we can handle it. You've seen what the men are like"

Sam laughed, remembering the many times she'd seen the rowdy men turn into drunk babies when they saw their wife's unhappy face. Or quiet men turn into… well… a drunk Daniel. It would certainly be an interesting game.

"Sam… do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

Hasn't stopped you in the last five minutes, she thought. "Uh, yeah, sure"

"Have you, well… have you ever thought about having children?"

Sam baulked, but hid it well. "Uh… no, not recently. Why'd you ask?"

"Oh, no particular reason" Laira said kindly with no trace of ridicule. "Just, most women here have had children by your age. I was just wondering if it was normal for women on your planet to wait longer, or if there was another reason"

"Well, there's no real time to start. It's whenever you want to have children, really. Plus, we have a lot of different cultures on Earth, and it depends on what culture you're a part of as to when it's considered acceptable to start having kids"

Laira nodded in understanding. "And you?"

Sam reeled again, not expecting Laira to pick up her original question and keep at it. "Oh, well… you know, our jobs… not the ideal situation. Plus… well, until recently I haven't really been in a serious relationship, and this one's… a little too soon to be thinking about that now"

"Yes, I understand. But even so… just because it is not a practical situation doesn't mean you don't think about it" said Laira with a sagacious glance at Sam.

She had a point there. Ever since they found Cassie, Sam had thought more and more about what it must be like to have children. Not that she was considering having any of her own, at least not yet… but she couldn't deny that she liked children, and her experience with Cassie these last couple of years had been thrilling and wonderful. It always made her heart swell a little to receive a Cassie hug.

"Well… I suppose, maybe… one day. At the moment it's just not…"

"Practical"

"Or fair. I'm always on the front line, always in battle, and I don't feel ready to give that up. It wouldn't be fair to do that to a child" She hesitated briefly. "I lost my mother young, I don't want my kid to go through that too"

"Oh, I'm sorry"

"No, no, it's okay. I didn't mean anything by it… I guess it's all just stuff I think about whenever I think about having children"

They continued sweeping for a moment as Laira gathered her courage. "Would you… well… would you consider having children with Jack?"

Sam drew in a big breath and closed her eyes, taking a moment to compose. "Maybe. I don't know. I've never spoken to him about it. To be honest I haven't really thought about it. Plus, I don't know how he feels about us both being soldiers" She stopped for a moment. She had opened this door and she was forcing herself to step through it. "And… boy this is gonna sound selfish… but… if, IF we had kids, and something happened to him, I'm not sure I could do it on my own… or ask him to do it on his own if something happened to me"

Wow. If ever she had experienced word vomit in her life, well, that was it. She didn't even know that was how she felt, let alone that she was going to spill state secrets to the woman in front of her. Being on an alien planet for four months had made her soft. They went back to sweeping for lack of any other way to break the tension. Laira had obviously sensed Sam's discomfort and was politely focussing away so Sam could compose herself.

"Please…"

They both turned and faced each other.

"Please don't tell him anything. I mean, I know you probably wouldn't, but I'd really appreciate it…"

Sam trailed off.

"Of course. If and when you decided you want children is your business, Sam, and I would never interfere in your business"

"Thank you. I really appreciate it"

"Of course. Thank you. For sharing your true feelings. I can understand why you play your 20 questions game" she said with a kind grin.

Sam laughed. "You know, you'd make one hell of an interrogator"

"Yes, I have been told I have a way of making people reveal their true emotions"

Sam laughed again.

_Please let me know what you think… and yes, I will be including a game of truth or dare… I wouldn't be so mean as to omit such a chapter =D_


	20. Reassurance

_Sorry for the wait- I g__ot my ENTER score- I'm so happy! Apparently I'm in the top 8.05% of the state… so… that's cool! I can get into my University course now!!!!! Yayayayayayayay!!!!! *does a little dance*_

Sam walked back to the house alone having promised Laira that at dinner that night they would teach the town Truth or Dare. Where's a stomach bug when you need one? She walked in the door and paused at the sight before her. There, on the couch, was Jack O'Neill, immersed in her book. Sure, she knew he wasn't an idiot, despite his best efforts to convince them all otherwise. She had seen his Masters in Mechanical Engineering on his wall, and had witnessed first hand his abilities on the battlefield. But even so, the image of Jack O'Neill voluntarily reading famous Orwellian literature had her stunned for a moment, and she could only stand there at the door, a confused frown on her face.

"You gonna stand there all day? You're letting in a draft", he said without looking up.

"Oh, sorry, sorry" she muttered, closing the door and slowly walking closer. "Since when did you read?"

He snorted in amusement and closed the book, either not worrying about a bookmark or intending to just remember his page without one. "Well, I started about first grade, and just got progressively better at it from there"

"Ha ha ha, no, I mean… read" she finished, gesturing in a very Jackian manner to the book still in his hand. He felt a little proud at that.

"Always. Studied literature at school"

"Really?" she asked, clearly shocked. "But, you like… flying… and fishing…"

"Yeah… and books. Not reports, not memos… books"

"Maybe we should hire an author to write up all our mission reports, then maybe you'll actually review them", she said with amusement, plopping on the couch next to him.

"You know, I was just thinking that. Great minds" he said, wiggling his eyebrows. Sam huffed with amusement. "So, you two lovely ladies find something to chat about in my absence?"

"Yeah, actually… you"

"Me? What about me?"

Sam shrugged. "If I don't get to know what _you_ say about _me_ to Laira, why should you get to know what's said about you?"

"Hey, now, that's not fair. All I ever did was sing your praises. For all I know, you might be teaching Laira the meaning behind the phrase 'Bunny Boiler'"

Sam snorted and giggled a little. Jack feigned shock.

"You know what I'm talking about? Since when do you watch movies?"

"I watch movies. Just not that often. Mind you, I'd almost forgotten that I'd seen that movie"

"How the hell could you forget _that_ scene?"

Sam gave him an eyeroll as she looked at him. "Not such a big deal for women as it is for men"

Jack grinned almost suggestively and went back to the book, opening it to the page he was at. "Whatever. Shh, I'm trying to read here"

Sam heaved herself off the couch and went to the bench to cut some bread for a snack. "Oh, by the way… you have a duty tonight" she said without turning around.

Jack raised a suggestive eyebrow at her back but kept his tone light. "Oh?"

"Yes… you have to teach the town Truth or Dare"

"You didn't"

"Apparently Laira heard you mention it, and was very eager to play…"

"You wouldn't"

"… so I said, who better to teach it than you? After all, you obviously know it well enough"

"I'm gonna kill you…"

"And she said that it would be a great game to play at dinner tonight, perhaps using you as the example"

"…slowly, with a pillow, in your sleep, I'm gonna smother you"

Sam turned around with a wide grin. "And there where would you be?" she answered with a suggestive eyebrow of her own.

Jack got off the couch, throwing the book on the couch behind him, and walked slowly and purposefully over to the bench. Though her gusto fell a little when she saw the glint in his eye, she prided herself on not shrinking from his look as he approached. She certainly would have ducked away a few weeks ago. Jack seemed to take pride in her lack of action too, and his mouth gave the smallest of quirks when he eventually leaned into her, pinning her once again to the bench. Payback's a bitch. She looked at him through her lashes, just because he found it so 'endearing', then lifted her chin as a challenge and met his eyes squarely. With a grin he leaned in a kissed her quickly, holding her gaze, then pulled back, seeing her gaze still firm. He smirked openly as he leant in and kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her back. Her hands stayed firm on the bench, daring him to say something about her control. Though her fingers twitched, wanting to snake through his hair, she made herself grip the bench tighter as he deepened the kiss and pulled her impossibly closer to his body. Their eyes slipped closed. After a few moments of great control Sam admitted defeat and snaked her hands across his shoulders to lightly finger the hairs at the back of his neck.

Jack pulled back in victory, his goal achieved, and smirked at Sam's flushed face. He was amused to see her eyes were still focussed and determined, despite her heavy breathing.

"I would be in very big trouble without you here" he answered seriously, a glint still in his eye. They both grinned but quickly sobered at the confession.

"Maybe I'd have gotten you home by now if I was still on Earth" she said sadly, looking down, suddenly disappointed again in her inability to find them a way home.

"Would you prefer to be on Earth?" he asked, his eyes putting up a wall. She looked up.

"Yeah" she answered honestly. "I'd prefer it if we were _both_ on Earth. Together" she added, relieved to see the walls fall a little. "I told you before, I don't regret staying behind, and I still don't. I'm not sure how I would have been- being away from you for months. I think I'd miss you too much. Even without this" she said quietly, meeting his eyes. It was the closest they'd come to admitting that what they shared existed long before they were trapped. They hadn't even said as much to Karl, though he didn't really need them to anyway.

"If you hadn't been here, I think I would have given up"

She looked up sharply.

"Given in" he clarified. "Accepted that I was never going home. I had no idea where our allies were before you told me… I never would have thought about how long it would be until I went home. I probably would have… I dunno… settled down…"

She frowned, and he couldn't tell if it was from worry or indignation.

"I mean, I know you would have tried… but I'm not strong enough to hold out without someone there to help me"

"Would you have come home?"

He thought about it, and then nodded. "Yeah… I would have come home. Maybe a little reluctantly, if I'd settled in enough. But yeah… I would have come home"

He looked at her, reading her, and hoping she understood where he was coming from. Who's to say he wouldn't have accepted Laira's advances if he'd been here alone? As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind… without Sam there to hold his attention and reassure him that they'd be home in just over a year with the help of their allies, he may have made himself at home on the planet. He'd said it once and he'd say it again, he was a simple guy- the simple life suited him just fine.

"I'm glad", answered Sam. She got it- she understood. She didn't like it, but she was willing to accept it. His simple view of life was something she loved about him- it was such a different way of thinking to her own, and it was refreshing to be forced into his relaxed lifestyle while they were on Edora. She never thought she would enjoy such an existence, and maybe the combination of a time limit and her present company helped… but she couldn't deny that while she still loved her job and loved working on her puzzles, since being stranded she had come to understand why he went up to Minnesota to fish.

Jack sighed and pulled her against his chest, her cheek resting under his chin. "I'm worried, Sam"

"About when we get home?"

He nodded, his chin hitting the top of her head.

"Yeah. Me too"

"I don't want to give this up…"

He felt her arms tighten around his waist.

"…but we can't ignore our jobs. It's too important, and we've both worked too hard. As much as I hate to blow my own horn, they need us. Especially you… but I know they could use me for a few more years yet"

"I know", she said quietly. "We'll figure it out. There'll be a way"

"I just want you to know… I'm in this. That hasn't changed. I'm in it as long as you are"

"I know" she said, hugging him tightly. "I am too" She pulled back and looked him in the eye her previous confidence lost and replaced with a quiet conviction.

"I love you", she whispered, as though it was a secret that, in the light of day, had to be hidden from the world lest it be taken away from them.

Jack paused and then smiled. "I love you too" He pulled her close again. "So much"

They stayed like that for a while, revelling in the sentiment that would never get old.

"So… do I really have to teach the town Truth or Dare?"

Sam snorted in surprise and giggled a little. "Yep"

"Damn" he breathed.

He felt her still smiling against his chest, but could practically hear her thinking.

"What?"

"Oh nothing… it's just…"

"Sam, what?"

"You know my Dad's gonna kill you when he finds out, right?"

"Yeah, you know, I'd thought about that… and I was thinking, by the time we get back, Alaska should be just right for a little visit, I think. That or I could get myself transferred to Europe"

"And leave me to fend him off by myself?" she asked in mock outrage, pulling away to look at him without breaking their hug.

"Well… it's not like he'd kill his own daughter. But me? I've seen that man with a gun… I don't like my chances"

Sam couldn't help but giggle. He laughed lightly back and continued his rant as she broke away and went back to making her snack.

"Seriously… now I know where you get your aim from, and I'm damn scared. That man is good! And with a million-billion-year-old Tok'ra to help him… well, I am way out of my depth. I might as well just start packing for Kansas now…"


	21. Truth Dare or A Revelation

_Holy Hannah__! I just realised- over 100 reviews! You guys are the bomb-diggidy-fresh! Thank you so much! I know I always say this, but your feedback truly is the greatest compliment I can receive, and I love to hear what you think, be it good, bad or otherwise. Thanks so much!_

_A big thank you to _**ziparumpazoo**_ who allowed me to use a similar idea to that in__**The Slow Revelation of Self**_**.**_ It is a story I highly recommend, and love to bits._

_And now, the chapter you've all been waiting for!__ It's super long, like two chapters in one, just to make up for the lack of updates. Don't' say I never give you treats! =D_

"I can't believe you're making me do this"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who mentioned it to Laira in the first place"

"Yeah, but you were the one who suggested I be the example"

"Oh, seriously, how hard can it be? You tell them the rules and you suffer one dare… that's it!"

"And if they ask me to do something really embarrassing?"

"Isn't that the point? If you're so worried, take the Truth option"

"And have to answer any number of personal or embarrassing questions? Nuh-uh"

"For cryin' out loud, it's not that big a deal"

"Well, if you're so fine with it then you go first"

"Oh no, there is no way I'm going first… you wanted to teach them the game, you get to be their guinea pig"

"Who died and made you boss?"

"I'm the doctor, remember?"

"Wrong kind"

"Doesn't matter"

"And this is medical, how?"

"If you're good, you might get some medicine tonight"

"Oh… now… since when did you use sexual bribery and blackmail, Carter? I thought you were the nice one!"

"Who said anything about sexual? For all you know I could be referring to a cup of tea or a foot massage…"

"Oh, yeah, right, sure you were"

They reached the hall and Sam couldn't help but smile at the look on Jack's face and duck her head to stop from laughing. The banter on the way had been light and fun, and under all his whining, she knew he really wanted to play the game. Jack looked at her with a fake grimace, which seemed to turn into a grin, before opening the door and going inside, leaving her to shake her head. Sometimes they got stuck in all the sexual tension surrounding them. And sometimes she felt so comfortable around him it's as though they'd been together this way for years.

"Jack! Sam! So glad you're here. I was worried you might forego our deal tonight" said Laira cheerfully as they walked in.

"Oh, no… we wouldn't do that. Jack's been dying to show you the game", said Sam. Jack stopped himself from rolling his eyes. The villagers didn't notice the undercurrent of mocking in her tone, but he did.

"Really? I'm glad"

"Oh yes. _Dying_ to show you" replied Jack. His sarcasm was foreign to the Edoran people, who didn't notice the glare he sent towards Sam or the grin that she hid in return.

An hour later the townspeople had all finished the evening meal and, with the exception of some of the mothers and fathers who took young children home to bed, everyone gathered at Sam and Jack's table. The adolescents were the most eager to learn, for obvious reasons, but Sam laughed at the interest many of the adults had taken in the game. Rarely did adults on Earth allow themselves to relax so openly, and she would be the first to admit such an assessment applied to her most of all. The basic concept of the game had been explained over the course of the meal, and now they were all waiting to partake in an actual game.

"Okay, so… now you all know how it works… who wants to go first?" asked Jack innocently.

"I thought you were going first?" replied Sam, feigning surprise and confusion. She smiled when he sent a subtle glare her way, but didn't disappoint.

"Okay then… go ahead Sam… ask me"

"Me?"

Jack smirked. "Oh yes. Since you are the other foremost expert on this game, I think it only appropriate that you ask the question. After all, we need a good, solid demonstration"

Sam gave him a look of disbelief. Trust Jack O'Neill to conform to the rules only on his own terms.

"Ah… well… okay… um… Truth or Dare?

"Ah… Truth"

Uh-oh. Now she was stuck. He wasn't going to make this easy on her. Payback Jack O'Neill style is always a bitch.

"Um… well…"

"Come on Sam… now you have to ask me a personal question. Something you really want to know"

Under the smart-arse attitude Sam could see he was genuinely interested in what her question would be. Sam lifted her chin at the challenge. She was Sam Carter and she would beat him at his own game.

"Alright. Have you ever hit on a married woman at a bar?"

Jack grinned at the question and let it be obvious that he was impressed by her gumption.

"Actually… I have"

"Really?"

Jack smirked, but before Sam could question him further he turned to the throng of people around them. "Okay, Karl, you ask next. Whomever you ask gets to go after you, and so on and so forth" he trailed, waving a hand.

He turned back to Sam who, despite the break in conversation, still had remnants of shock written on her face. Deciding to put her out of her misery he leant into her space to whisper in her ear, quietly, so nobody around could hear them.

"It was my ex-wife's sister"

He pulled back to gage her reaction, and was relieved to see the pieces were coming together in her head all by themselves. He shrugged. "Didn't turn out as bad as I thought it would"

Despite herself she couldn't help but laugh. Didn't turn out bad indeed. He ended up marrying the woman's sister.

Ignoring the game around them, Jack kept his focus on Sam, relieved to see she didn't dwell too deeply on his revelation. They each had stories to tell, and maybe, just maybe, he'd learn to open up to her about his past. Her too, if he was lucky.

"I met my first real boyfriend at a bar. His friend tried to hit on me, but was so drunk he almost fell over himself. Matt came over to apologise… and we ended up dating for just over a year"

"Ah good times…"

"Yep, gotta love the eighties" she replied with ironical laughter, taking a swig of her drink.

"Oi"

Jack scrubbed a hand over his face.

"What?"

"Now I feel old"

Sam huffed in amusement. "Why?"

"Seriously… the eighties? You got your first real boyfriend in the eighties?"

"My first serious one, yeah. Why?"

"_Why_? Carter, you were just learning how to handle your alcohol all by yourself while I was walking down the aisle and having babies"

Despite the serious subject matter, Sam couldn't help but laugh at the incredulous tone he had adopted and the fake look of disgust on his face. He gave her a look- one she knew was given in jest- and took a long, comical swig of his drink.

"Now I feel like a dirty old man"

Sam giggled again and leant even closer, putting her mouth next to his ear.

"You weren't that old last night"

Jack nearly choked on his drink. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever, _ever_ heard Samantha Carter use that tone. If she weren't sitting there grinning smugly at him herself he never would have believed it was her- even an alternate her. Samantha Carter didn't say things like that. She wasn't suggestive or overly sexual. She was one of the guys- she worked hard to prove herself just as competent and tough as one of the guys. She didn't sit there taunting him with sexual jokes and innuendo. Nuh-uh, no way. This had to be wrong.

She obviously read his thought, judging by the smirk she had on her face while watching his reaction.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Sam?" asked Jack, his eyes genuinely wide with shock.

She just giggled in response, dropping the lusty façade, and leant into his side, hiding her face in his shoulder.

Now that was more like it.

Jack laughed at her antics and couldn't help but find her endearing once again. She tried so hard to be a tough military soldier- and he had long ago accepted her as such- but there was still a girl buried under that shell. A girl that was making herself known; who liked to sleep in on Sundays and flirt with her lover and tease him about his choice in party games. Oh yes, he had found the girly side of Sam Carter, and he was _not_ letting it go.

"Seriously… the whole… _age_ thing… that doesn't bother you? I wasn't kidding about the eighties"

She smiled at him, almost as though she was humouring a question from a small child. "I think it's a little late to be asking that, don't you?"

"Not if it's important"

"Then I guess it must not be that important" she said with confidence, squashing any doubt that she was telling the truth.

Before Jack could question her further a voice called out to Sam.

"Yo?" she said, spinning her head and looking back at the villagers. Jack smirked at her use of his word. Kurin, the young man who idolised her and had been on the scout, was looking at her expectantly. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked you a question"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't hear. Could you ask me again?"

"Truth or Dare?"

"Oh… oh! Uh, right… um… Dare"

Truthfully, she chose Dare thinking there was only so much the young man would ask her to do. He actually seemed to like her and wouldn't cause her too much embarrassment.

"Okay. I dare you to kiss Jack the way you did last night"

Okay, that was _not_ what they were expecting.

"Excuse me?"

"Come on… we all saw you"

Kurin was grinning wildly, and Jack had a feeling Karl had something to do with the dare, judging by the look on his face. Looking at Jack for permission, and seeing his miniscule smirk, Sam turned back to Kurin and found him grinning openly, the rest of the village watching with anticipation. Sam turned back to Jack and swallowed nervously, watching him juggle both shock and self-satisfaction. She cocked her head and he raised his eyebrows. She leant in and, just as their lips met, she felt him grin.

The whole village cheered, despite the fact the kiss was relatively chaste. They parted and Sam ducked her head again, trying to hide behind Jack.

"Your turn" he whispered to her.

"Huh?"

"Now you get to ask a question"

"Oh… right"

She cleared her throat and turned to Jack.

"Me _again_?" he asked, keeping his voice low.

"I don't know what to ask the others", she whispered in his ear.

Jack grinned. He knew there was another reason. He didn't say anything.

"Truth or Dare?" she asked him, louder this time so the others could hear.

"I'm gonna go with Truth"

Sam grinned.

"Okay. If you were trapped on a deserted island, what five things would you want with you?"

By the time she had finished her questioned everyone was smiling or laughing, recognising the irony in her question. Jack laughed at her too, making her smile at herself.

"Hmmm… if I could go back to the SGC and prepare for this little trip in advance, what would I pack?"

"Yeah"

"Okay… I'd bring a razor"

Sam giggled. She had seen his first attempts to shave with his knife. He was lucky to be alive.

"I'd bring a working Stargate"

"Oh-no, come on, that doesn't count"

"Okay, okay. Um, I'd bring my entertainment system with Simpson's DVD's"

Sam rolled her eyes. Of course he would. He could only read 1984 so many times.

"I'd bring a dog. Aussie Shepherd/ Border Collie cross" he added, giving Sam a smile that she returned. He remembered.

"Ah… I'd bring my good fishing pole. Nothing beats my fishing pole…"

"Really?"

"Yeah, sticks only go so far"

"Okay, and, last thing?"

"What one other thing would I have with me?"

Jack looked at all the faces, half of them listening, half of them talking among themselves. He leant over to Sam, cupping his mouth next to her ear. He didn't want to lose his reputation in the town.

"You" he whispered softly so no one else heard. He kissed her cheek subtly as he pulled away. Sam sucked in a breath and felt a blush creep up, but didn't say anything or give anything away about what he said.

"What did you say Jack?" asked Karl from across the table.

"Ah, no, sorry my friend. If I told you I would have to kill you"

Karl smirked at them, but didn't push it further.

"Your turn to ask" said Sam, trying desperately to hide the effect one word had on her.

"Okay… truth or Dare?"

"You can't ask me. I just asked you"

"Well, you can just pick someone later… come on, Truth or Dare?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Truth"

Jack rolled his eyes. She wasn't going to open herself up to his mercy.

"Okay… as a decorated Air Force Officer…" He puffed up his chest with fake pomp. He dropped the act and grinned wickedly. "You ever join the mile high club?"

The people of the town didn't know what the hell he was talking about, but judging from Sam's reaction it must have been a very embarrassing club. Her eyes went wide and she visibly swallowed a lump in her throat. Jack took a self-satisfied swig of his drink.

"Actually… I have"

Everyone watched as alcohol came squirting out of Jack's nose. He had asked the question just to be a smart ass. He didn't actually expect her to answer. And if he did, that certainly wasn't the answer he was imagining.

"Are you serious?" he asked while mopping his shirt.

Sam nodded sheepishly. "Not while on duty… but yeah"

"Are you… you mean… you've… shit!"

Sam giggled self-consciously at him while he continued to look at her with wide eyes.

"Okay, Karl, you ask someone else" she said, directing people's attention back to the game before they could ask about the mile high club.

As the conversation pick up around them Jack could only stare at Sam, marvelling again at just how much he didn't know about her.

He could tell you how she took her coffee. He knew what colour jello she liked and from what range she preferred to fire a P-90. He even knew how many steps she took while doing a five-mile run. But he didn't know if she preferred waffles or pancakes; he didn't know if she left the cap off her toothpaste; he didn't know the names of her high school crush; and he didn't know if she dumped her belonging near the front door at night or took the time to take them to her room. He could see her dumping them at the door. For all her organisation at work, Jack imagined that her house, any time she wasn't expecting company, would be the opposite.

There were a great many things he didn't know about her. There were a great many things she didn't know about him.

And yet, he couldn't bring himself to care. It was part of what made this relationship so… them.

He had fallen in love with her without really knowing anything about her.

Maybe it was dangerous, and a little irresponsible, but he just couldn't care less. What he saw on the battlefield and what he saw at home were two different sides to her. He knew Carter. He was starting to know Sam. He was miles away from truly understanding Samantha. That was a lot of ground to cover, and for the first time in years he was ready to take on the responsibility of unravelling the story of another person.

What amazed him more was that she was willing to give him the time to do it. And in return she was willing to take the time to figure _him_ out. Figure out what side of the bed he preferred (the one next to the window), how he liked his bacon (slightly crispy around the edges) and what number he always ordered from Eddie Wong's delivery (32- Beef and black bean sauce on rice).

It was a scary arrangement. But perhaps that was part of the draw- the idea that they would spend a lifetime getting to know one another. Surprising each other. Learning each other. It was like choosing to take a walk down a path in a dark wood, with no idea where you would end up or what you would find on the way.

Snapped out of his thoughts by Sam's furrowed brows he smiled, reassuring her that he was back in the moment. Her worry eased a little, but she gestured to the door with her head. The rest of the village was content to play their game and he could see she was getting a little bored and tired. And maybe a little worried about him. He couldn't tell.

He nodded to her, and with a quick nod to Karl, they went for the door together, her hands laced in his, leading him through the crowd.

They both knew he could have found his own way.

Just because he could, Jack threw his arm over her shoulder, leaving the other hand to carry a candle.

Despite their easy interaction and slow, lazy gait, she knew something was bothering him. After a moment he broke the silence.

"I've decided something"

"Hmmm"

"As cliché as this sounds… and I'll slap myself later… but… I want to know everything"

Sam stopped walking and looked at him, confused by the request. "What are you talking about?"

"I wanna know everything. Did you break your arm as a kid; have you ever made out at a drive in; are you one of those annoying people that leaves the cap off the toothpaste. Everything"

Sam furrowed her brow, and he knew he needed to explain. He gestured that they keep walking.

"I was thinking before… I was thinking that… I really don't know you"

Sam stopped, and for a moment he was worried she was going to burst into tears, or run away, or maybe yell at him for a nice change. She didn't. She was giving him time to explain before she chose her preferred course of action.

"I mean, I _know_ you. But… I don't"

"I don't understand"

And for the first time in years, she really didn't.

"I know _Carter_. I know whatever you've shown me at work- and maybe a little of what you've shown me here. And… hey, I'm the same. We only know what we've seen at work. Granted, that's a lot more than most colleagues see, but…"

He sighed, and scrubbed a hand over his face, and prayed that she didn't think this was him putting the breaks on. This was him slamming both feet on the accelerator.

"I wanna know all those little quirks that make you _you_. We don't have the luxury of dating normally, if you could call this dating"

The way her eyes relaxed and she stepped under his arm told him he was forgiven for any wrongdoing. She understood. They kept walking to the house.

"Well… what do you wanna know?"

Jack couldn't help but smile at her tone.

"Do you leave the cap off?"

Sam laughed. "No. I most certainly do _not_ leave the cap off. Why, do you?"

"And annoy myself? No"

"Okay. That's settled. Next question"

"What side of the bed do you prefer?"

"The… right"

"Where's that in relation to your window?"

"It's the side away from the window"

"Good. The window side is mine"

She giggled. "Boxers or briefs?"

"Depends on the day. Briefs for work. Boxers for weekends"

"Fair enough" she said, and tried desperately not to analyse what it meant- that she knew what underwear he preferred.

"What it your favourite flavour ice-cream?"

"You know that one"

"I don't"

"Yes you do. Think hard"

Jack thought about it, recalling the few times they had all gone out together with Cassie to get ice-cream at the park.

"Vanilla choc chip"

"Well done"

"I can't believe I know that"

"You'd be surprised at what we know about each other" she said, and the seriousness of her tone made him pause at the door of their house. She turned back.

"You don't necessarily have to be told something to know it. I'd like to think we know each other well enough to figure out the things that matter. All that other stuff- all that trivial stuff- that's just the icing on top"

"You think?" asked Jack, concerned that they might be missing out on some crucial information.

"Yeah. And hey, if we knew everything straight away, we'd have nothing left to discover"

"Somehow I doubt you would run out of things to discover. I just might not be able to understand what it was, that's all"

Sam continued inside and sat on the couch, watching as Jack took the candle to the fireplace and got it lit. He sat back down on the couch, a little more relieved, but no less serious.

"I still think there are things you should know before this goes further"

"Jack…"

"No. Sam. Please"

She sat back and watched him compose himself, trying to find the most honest way to tell her what he wanted her to know. He stared into the fire while she watched him.

"I have nightmares" he finally said, quietly, as though afraid that saying it too loud would make it worse. Sam sighed sadly and looked at her hands.

"I know. I hear you, sometimes"

"Really?"

She nodded. At least that was one secret exposed and dealt with, though he wasn't so happy about her already knowing that one.

"I don't like crayfish"

"I'll live"

"I can be an ass"

She didn't comment, but he figured that was a pretty obvious one. He just didn't want her to ignore it, given how noticeable it was.

"I hog the covers", said Sam suddenly.

If he wanted to play this game, she would play. She didn't think it was necessary, but she'd play it. Jack looked at her with surprise, obviously too caught in his thoughts to realise she would participate.

"I broke my am when I was twelve, falling out of a tree my brother dared me to climb. My parents didn't take me to the hospital for hours because I was too embarrassed to tell them my arm hurt"

She paused, but Jack stayed silent.

"I love the movie Singin' in the Rain. I always have"

She paused and waited for him to realise that for all his faults she could find one of her own. For all his quirks, she had two. They watched each other for a moment, analysing the way that the other person dismissed a flaw without a second thought.

"I love thunderstorms", she said, finding it the most mundane yet intriguing thing about herself.

"So do it"

She smiled, her full and cheesy, patented smile. He couldn't help but smile back.

"Well… that's one thing we've got", she said.

Jack pulled her under his arm and kissed the top of her head. Her arm snaked across his belly.

"I know this is going to be hard. But don't you think we should enjoy it? Getting to know each other?" asked Sam, her head resting on his chest.

Jack kissed the top of her head again in response. "Yeah. I'd like that"

They went back to watching the flames, a ritual that had developed since Christmas.

"Can you believe it's only been a week since Christmas?"

Sam sighed with contentment and settled further into his side. "Can you believe we've still got months before we go home?"

Her tone wasn't mournful. It wasn't even sad. It was, if anything, happy. And Jack knew why. They had months to get to know each other. Months to figure out the little quirks that they didn't already know. Months to bask in the glow of their newfound romance before they had to face reality.

"Well then… shall we?" asked Jack, gesturing to the bedroom door his a cocky eyebrow.

Sam could only untangle herself in response and all but drag him there, finding warmth in his laughter.

_More to come straight after this short commercial break. And the next chapter shall once again be M, just to be safe…_

_Please let me know what you thought =D_


	22. The Things I Know

_WARNING- THIS CHAPTER IS RATED M._

Jack stopped her at the foot of the bed and spun her around, kissing her fiercely. She wrapped her hands around his neck, deepening the kiss and giving herself leverage over him. Again, she was glad that he was taller than her- it made for a nice change.

The kiss parted, and they stood there panting. Their bodies were pressed to each other, so close that each breath forced them to back away from the other person. He couldn't tell if that was his heart beating fast or hers. He didn't care either way.

He looked her in the eye, searching. For the first time Sam let her walls down and didn't look away. She let him see everything. The love, the happiness, the little bit of fear… even the fact she was annoyed at him for making her think, fleetingly, that he didn't want this.

"You love the smell of vanilla", he whispered. He never broke eye contact.

"How do you know that?" she asked, just as quietly, her hands absentmindedly caressing the back of his neck. That was a _really_ random thing to know.

"You have vanilla toilet spray, and one of those plug-in smelly things in your living room"

Sam grinned widely, her brow furrowing as she held in her laughter. Suddenly Jack was transported to the day he held another Sam Carter in his arms like this. And she smiled like that because, for some unknown reason, she truly found him funny. And she looked at him like he was the only thing in the world that mattered.

Like she loved him.

Sam was looking at him the same way now.

Jack smiled.

"You can't cook steak to save yourself"

A single eyebrow rose in protest, but he left that argument for another time.

"And you can't cook _anything_ to save yourself" he said in her ear.

His hands ran up and down her body, slowly, as though this was something else he wanted to learn. She shivered at the touch. Suddenly his arms were being forced over his head as she pulled his top off. She pushed him around and made him stumble back onto the bed. As he was righting himself she divested of her shirt and shirt, leaving her in only her underwear. He watched with fascination as the once shy woman in front of him found confidence she didn't even know she had.

She crawled up the bed to rest over him, lying lazily over his stomach.

"You love classic literature", he said, running his hands over her upper arms.

"So do you"

"And you prefer the taste of diet cola to real cola, though for the life of me I can't figure out why"

Sam grinned. "You have a thing for Mary Steenburg" she countered, raising an eyebrow.

"And you like Brad Pitt in Legend's of the Fall"

He didn't actually know if that was true.

"What woman doesn't?"

Jack rolled his eyes.

"You don't lock your front door", she said, and if he wasn't mistaken there was a hint of worry in her tone.

"Don't need to"

She understood what he meant. He traipsed across a galaxy, cared only about his Simpson's collection and his small box of belongings that he kept at the base, and could kill a man eight different ways using his bare hands. Good luck to anyone who tried to invade his home.

Jack let his fingers run down the side of her neck, marveling again at the trust she showed him. She wasn't the least bit afraid of him. He reached around her and unsnapped her bra, throwing it across the room. Sam sat up and rid herself of her panties while Jack shimmied out of his pants. She quickly found herself back over him, kissing him lightly and repeatedly.

Jack rolled them over so he was lying over her and continued to slowly run his hands over her body.

"You love this", he said, running his hand on the underside of her breast. Sam moaned in response and nodded. Her voice had momentarily left her. "And this"

He kissed across her collarbone, then up the side of her neck to the back of her ear. She ached her back in response, her hands imbedding themselves in his hair.

"And this" he said, quieter than before, as his hand left a trail down her thighs and back up over her stomach. Her muscles clenched under his hand.

"And this" he whispered, taking her breast in his hand and flicking her nipple. Sam gasped in pleasure. As he moved his hands slowly up and down her body, Sam was sure she was going to melt. Sure, it wasn't physically possible for her body to demolecularise or for the chemical composition of her body to change spontaneously… but that was irrelevant. She was sure she was going to melt in his arms.

Jack took great pride in making her shiver and squirm under him. He found himself getting aroused at the way she couldn't hold his gaze because her eyes would flutter closed in ecstasy. Found he loved her more for letting him do this- tease her and taunt her with his newfound knowledge. Sam let him, knowing that he wanted to do this for her. And when he finally, _finally _entered her, and he heard her cry out in pleasure, she realised she also wanted him to do this.

Unlike the night before he didn't immediately respond. He continued to trace every inch of her skin, running his fingertips over her faint scars.

She found a few of his.

Then, when he was sure she was close to taking over, he moved out slowly, and pushing himself back into her. She moaned again under him. She might have said his name. He couldn't tell.

Slowly, using all his self-control, he moved in and out of her, and when she finally met his eyes he realized there was a damn good reason this would work.


	23. Going Home

_Sadly, this is the last chapter for 100 Days of Night. I know, I know… but we can't deny the inevitable. I've re-uploaded it after realizing it really was too short and abrupt and had too many mistakes. Hope you don't mind._

_Look out for the sequel, _I Walk the Line_. Would you like that?_

_To all those who review, I love it. This is your last chance for this story, so make sure to get your reviews in, so I can fawn over them and find inspiration for the sequel. They truly mean the world to me!_

_I'm sorry to skip things ahead so much, but I figure the ins and outs of their Edoran life can only be written so many ways…_

_Please let me know what you think._

In the end, there was little fanfare. It was a bit disappointing really.

Rescue came on the 6th of July, Earth time. Ten months after they were stranded. Two o'clock in the morning, according to his watch. A Tollan came straight to their front door to let them know there was a ship on the outskirts of town. Lord knows how they knew what house was theirs, but they were a little preoccupied to ask. The alien man left it to Sam and Jack to tell the village and get their things.

They didn't meet Sam's expectations. She had predicted they'd come early April at the latest, but apparently whatever business had called the Tollan people to this side of the galaxy took longer than expected. They didn't explain, and neither Sam nor Jack felt it appropriate to ask. Their bags had been half packed in the bedroom for months, waiting for the call. That really said everything.

In the end, even Jack held back tears as the village gathered to farewell them. The commander of the Tollan ship had given them two days to get their affairs in order and say their goodbyes. It was not enough.

Watching the faces of the children, hugging their new friends tightly, Sam could make only one final promise.

"I will find a way to bring your people back to you"

Jack knew she was telling the truth. She always found a way.

They left the people of the planet with only their packs on their back and the promise of one day returning, if not for themselves then to restore the lost population to their rightful home. There was a part of them that wanted desperately to stay. Or perhaps wanted to hold on to what Edora represented.

They'd made a life on Edora since Christmas. They'd developed a routine that involved village dinners, passionate nights and hard work in the fields for both officers. Not to mention countless fishing days and swims in the creek. Though she had tried to do the 'womanly' thing for a while, Sam had finally admitted that she would be no-one's chef. The men came to appreciate her work in the fields, though she always managed to stay far away from Malak and his cronies.

Wearing their uniforms again for the first time in almost ten months, it suddenly became real. They had a duty, and as much as it pained them to admit it, that duty and responsibility far surpassed any personal desire.

As they walked back to the ship Jack had taken her hand, and when he felt it squirm under his, he held it tighter. It was the only way. She needed to understand that no matter how hard the next step was; no matter how many people sought to pull them apart, or how many times they doubted themselves, he'd be there.

By the time they reached the ship her hand was gripping his just as tight.

They stopped at the ramp and turned, looking over the fields that had become home. Before either of them could dwell they proceeded inside. There was no point delaying the inevitable- it was a path they had been prepared for since they first became stuck.

Once on board, the commander informed them it would be another four long weeks before they were again back on earth. General Hammond had been contacted and informed of the impending arrival via sub-space communication and was eagerly awaiting their arrival. Neither of these pieces of news was as comforting as they should have been.

They had retired to shared quarters without a single word. The first night on the Tollan ship they laid awake in the same bed, the few inches between them seeming like a mile. Finally, when it became obvious that even restless sleep would not come, Jack rolled over to face her, ran the back of his finger down the side of her face and whispered the only words he could think of to comfort her.

"I love you"

She turned to face him, raked her eyes over his features and smiled sadly.

"I know"

Desperately she pulled him to her, kissing him with urgency he'd never seen in her, ever. Pulling away he could see her holding back tears, their situation catching up with her.

"I love you. So much" she whispered against his lips, as though it were still a secret they had to keep to themselves.

Maybe it was.

They lay awake in each other's arms that night, watching the blue swirl of hyperspace out their window, too wired for sleep but too emotionally strung out to make love, or even try. Waiting on the ship was ten times worse than waiting on Edora.

When breakfast came they were fast asleep. Their bodies finally accepted the emotional drain of the day and had given in to the need eventually.

Eventually they woke up, got up and got dressed, donning the uniform that would make or break this fragile relationship. They left the jackets off.

All morning- afternoon, maybe- Jack had been meaning to ask her what her intentions were. He was working on the assumption that Hammond would be gracious enough to make a special exception, and with that in mind he figured the topics of marriage and kids would have to come up. He didn't want to talk about mushy feelings, but he didn't want the next few weeks to be silent between them either.

Sam had reassured him that her contraceptive implant was still good after he'd had a freak-out a few days after New Years, and again a few months later. The idea of returning to Earth as expectant parents made them both panic a little. Though they had managed to avoid the topic of parenthood, even during the freak-out, Jack knew it was an issue they would have to face one day. Even if it didn't happen for some time, they would need to discuss if and when they would start wanting marriage, kids, picket fences.

He had to figure out if he wanted to be a father again at all.

There were a lot of wounds that would never heal regarding fatherhood.

He knew Sam well enough to know that deep down she wanted children. He also knew he well enough to know that she would do the right thing and wait until it was good for both her and the baby before even considering motherhood. Right now, their intergalactic war- plus the fact she was foremost expert on almost anything at the SGC- demanded her attention, and for the moment they _were_ more important. He wondered, though, if part of the reason she hadn't brought it up was because she was as scared as him.

Was it weird to say he was more comfortable being partly responsible for the lives on Earth rather than being solely responsible for the one life that would matter the most?

He was broken out of his reverie by a coughing fit from Sam, a piece of lunch going down the wrong way.

"You okay?" he asked, brow furrowing.

"Yeah. Wrong hole" she said through her coughs with a nod.

"Sure?"

"Yeah"

Jack sighed, seeing this as the perfect opportunity to bring up his questions.

"So, do you… wanna get married?" he quietly asked the table.

Sam paused mid-bite, her eyes as wide as they could possibly be, staring at him. He looked up and realized just what that sounded like.

"I mean… not now… just…. Sometime" he stuttered.

Sam sighed in relief, and then realized what that must have looked like.

"Yes" she said.

Jack looked up sharply.

"I mean… not now… but… sometime. Yes"

Jack grinned and looked down again. "Sweet"

Sam rolled her eyes at his blunt acceptance. Typical. Only Jack O'Neill could propose without proposing and somehow not piss her off.

"Jack" she sighed. "I know we need to talk about this… but for now, can we just pretend that we're still the people we were on Edora? Reality…"

"Can wait" he finished. He smiled at her. She grinned back. He was rubbing off on her. First the fishing, then the sarcasm and now the denial of reality. Next she'd be quoting the Simpson's and back-chatting superiors.

Sam nodded with a grateful smile and got up from the table, reaching her hand out to him as she led them to the bed, finally ready to acknowledge that the promises made on another world would not disappear when they finally got home.

Jack was more than happy to oblige.

They didn't have trouble sleeping the rest of the trip.

The End

_Preview of I Walk the Line_

They've come home. They have no injuries, no illnesses, and no belongings that they didn't leave with. They're in one piece, and if it weren't for her longer hair and his three-day scruff, they'd be unchanged, as though it hasn't been eleven months since they were last in his office. But something is off. Something is different. Something has definitely changed. And he's not sure whether he should jump for joy or break down in tears. Because he's been waiting for years for something like this to come and bite him in the ass.

It finally has.

Oh, what will he tell Jacob?


End file.
